Transformers Prime: New Beginnings
by PatrickTheWriter
Summary: Jack wakes up on his eighteenth birthday to find everything is beginning to change. Autobots crash land. Truths are revealed. AU that picks up where Season 1 ended and Season 2 didn't happen as we know it.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:****Transformers Prime: New Beginnings Part 1**  
><strong>Verse:<strong> Transformers: Prime  
><strong>Series:<strong> None  
><strong>Rating: <strong>T  
><strong>Warnings: <strong>Xeno. Language.  
><strong>PairingsCharacters: **Arcee/Jack. Ensemble.

**Notes:** Hasbro owns it. I certainly don't. I just really enjoy the series, and I'm glad for a chance to play with it. I just want to thank them for being willing to make a Transformers series that does not make me groan in pain...  
>I'm lookin' at you, Michael Bay.<p>

For my fiancé.

**Birthdays**

Sweating, Jack Darby woke with a start. He blinked, swallowing hard as he gathered the sheets in his hands to lift them up and look. From the light of the moon and the street lamp in front of the house, he struggled to remember what he'd been dreaming. The cooling, sticky feeling under the fabric was distracting his train of thought. It was happening more and more frequently, and he never could seem to remember just who it was.

He shut his eyes as he tried to conjure up the dream one more time to remember her face...to savor it one more time. Girls, women, he slammed his head back down onto his bed as he struggled. He could remember pale skin against his. Her lithe body under his fingertips.

In his mind's eye, he looked up, desperate to see who it was. He tried on Sierra's face, his long time crush, hoping it was her. Her face just refused to fit. She was all sunshine and life, tanned-perfect in her own way. The girl he was dreaming of was dark and intense in the way she moved against him. It had been like a race, he decided. It was if they were trying to figure out who could blow their top first, and both of them exploded together.

Even the couple times in real life he'd gotten close enough to a woman, it was never like this. It was always awkward and full of uncertainty. None of the parts would fit together right, and he would just give up trying. At least, that what it had been like the time with Miko...

Another flash came back to him. She'd crept through the window. His heart sank as the rest of it began to play in his head... The sound came back to him of the long unzip of skin tight leather as it faded away from her body. The only thing that didn't come away was the motorcycle helmet.

He'd been dreaming about Sadie...

Rusty scrap, he'd been dreaming about having sex with Arcee!

"Fuck," he groaned quietly. His stomach tore into knots as he became more, and more aware of the cold mess in his underwear.

He looked over at the glowing red numbers on the clock radio. It was four AM. What a way to begin his eighteenth birthday.

Climbing out of bed, he decided to clean up. Stopping in the kitchen first for a glass of water, he heard a step. He closed his eyes again, counting. It didn't sound like his mother, nor was it time for her to be up for work. Arcee should have been in the garage, deep in her nightly power cycling.

Besides, if she ever tried coming into the house, he'd have heard a lot more than just light footsteps.

He blinked, seeing a half dressed man attempt to creep past him. Was it, really? Why was he in his house at... Jack turned slowly to look at the clock on the microwave before looking back at the man.

"Agent Fowler?" Jack asked.

He startled, standing straighter before dropping his shoes. He looked at Jack.

Jack stared back. As strange as it was, this wasn't the first time he'd encountered a strange man walking through his house in the middle of the night. However, this was the first time it was someone he introduced his mother to, and not the other way around during an equally uncomfortable dinner.

"Whatever," Jack stood up straighter himself. Since he'd first met the man, he'd grown. He wanted to growl.

Instead, almost for the first time, Jack Darby met the older man's eyes."You know, she hates it when men sneak out in the middle of the night, Bill."

"Right," Fowler looked back down the hall.

"We'll talk about this in the morning," Jack added, feeling like he wanted to hit something. He really hated lying. His father had snuck out on them in the dead of night. His mother still cried, even if she'd dated since then.

"Stay for coffee," Jack growled out as a command.

"Sure," Fowler turned around, and headed back down the hall.

Before disappearing completely, he added lamely. "Happy birthday, Jack."

"What the fuck ever." Jack shook his head, before taking a long sip of his water. "Some birthday present."

Times like these, he wished he still had a dad to talk to. Prime or Ratchet just didn't count, he realized. Even if he did know that if he did have a father still hanging around, he wouldn't have felt comfortable saying a word.

Damn, this sucked.

Instead of hitting the bathroom, he reached into his nearly empty book-bag and grabbed his cell. Miko was usually always up to talk to her parents in Japan. It was messed up, but he could always count on Miko for some perspective.

He frowned, looking at the new hoodie he'd picked up during orientation for UNLV. He would be starting in just about a month. He put it on, and slipped out the back door.

He shivered for a moment before walking to the other end of the yard, away from both the garage and his mother's window. He sat in his old swing, one of the few things around the house remaining from when his father lived with them.

_Asshole_, Jack scolded himself for thinking of Jackson Darby Sr. for the second time in a the space of a few minutes.

_Fucking Asshole_, he added for good measure as he passed by his mobile number.

_I should delete it_, he thought for the millionth time. He added it one day a few years back in his yearly birthday card. That time it had come from an address in Miami. His transient father never seemed to stay in one place for long. Jack suspected the cops would knock on their door looking for him, and that was only reason he bothered to keep the number. He doubted his mother ever even got the child support she was promised. Jack only cared during the hard times when she'd lost her job because of cut backs at the hospital.

Finally, after more self abuse, he found Miko's number. He clicked send, held his phone up to his ear, and waited. His face was slack as he stared off at the house as he listened to her hellishly loud ringback tone. It was Miko, so he was prepared for a blast of Metallica in growing twilight. His feet pushed into the dirt and he swung lightly, free hand gripping the chain links.

"C'mon, pick up," He whispered in desperation.

"Couldn't wait?" She asked, her Japanese accent slipping out.

"Ha!" He replied.

"I thought about calling, but I know how you hate being woken up."

"Right," Jack agreed, wondering how to get to the point.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Nothing, just..." He frowned and stared at the garage window. There was slight glow from Arcee's spark chamber brightened in the dark as her systems came back online.

"Nothing, Jack?" Miko pressed. "Well, fine. Guess I'll see you during the surprise party the bots were throwing you later."

"What? Surprise?" He asked.

"Yes, Jack," She said, exasperation slipping into her voice as she gained control of her accent again. "Bulk's been planning it for weeks."

"Oh," his frown deepened. He'd been hoping to just let it all slip by everyone.

"So what's up?" She asked again.

"Look, can you keep something to yourself?"

"You know I can't," She laughed.

"Seriously, Miko," he groused. "I just..."

"You're only turning eighteen, Jack. Not forty."

"I know, its not that."

"Oh," Miko replied, disappointed.

"Its more pressing things," he said. "I can deal with being eighteen. After everything we've done, I'm ready for it."

"I know," she replied soberly, her voice quieting down.

Where should he start?

An engine revved in the night as if it were an answer. It wasn't Arcee. He knew the sound of her purr like his own voice. Besides, she wouldn't because she would be too afraid to wake he and his mother. He was becoming more certain, however, the glow from the garage was the old television he stuck in there. No doubt, she was beginning her morning by absorbing Earth's early morning news. It was the closest thing the Autobot had to coffee.

"Miko, I-" His voice faltered before he considered his words. "I think I'm dreaming about Arcee."

"What?" she asked. "I dream about me and Bulk hitting the dunes and racing the boys down from Fallon all the time."

"No, Miko." He swallowed hard at the confession.

"I dreamed about me and..." He blinked back the image. "Sadie."

"Uhm, okay." The confusion was apparent her voice.

"I mean we were naked and-"

"Oh, say no more then." There was a long pause on the line as both of them waited. It was a lot to admit, and a lot to hear.

"What do you think it means?" She asked, finally.

"I don't know," he shook his head.

"Do you ever dream about me?" She asked.

"What?" Jack found himself back peddling on the swing as if he were trying to get away from his phone. "I'm not answering that."

"Then, it is a yes, or I'll just be insulted." Miko chuckled before sighing into the phone. "Jack, I don't know what it means, but it might be natural. You and Arcee have been partners for a while now. And she's got a hot rider. Some people would wonder why you haven't fallen in love with her already."

"But...but...," he frowned, trying to see past her logic. However, from his mother's tastes he knew nothing about love to be simple or logical. Darby's always fell for the wrong person-or bot-or whatever.

His shoulders sank as he looked at the garage one more time and bit his lip. How would it even work? What happens when he goes down to Vegas for college? They'd been consciously avoiding the topic and just hanging out and fighting off Decepticons since he and Miko graduated.

"You even think about Bulkhead like that?" He asked, leaning forward.

"No!" She nearly screamed before giggling. "Bulkhead's like the biggest brother any of us could have. I could never."

Miko burst into another long fit of laughter. Jack could tell she was thinking about it.

Or was she just laughing at him?

"Forget I asked," he grumbled.

"I'll try, Jack," She laughed one more time before settling down. "So, Arcee, huh?"

"Yeah," he sighed again, glad just to talk to someone instead of brooding.

"Should I be insulted?" Miko asked.

"Probably not," Jack replied.

"I half thought you might-" She started to say.

"I always half did too," he admitted before biting his lip.

"But you know..."

"I know, Jack," He thought he could hear a sniffle.

"You know, I love you too, Miko," he said with half a smile on his lips.

"We've been through a lot." She agreed. "I'm not over staying my visa just for Jasper's music scene."

"I know." He understood. "We owe a lot to the 'Bots."

"We do," she replied quietly. He listened again, hearing another sniffle and the distinct sound of crying and disapointment. "What do you want to do about this?"

"I don't know," he stood up, finally. He could honestly say he felt better talking to her. "So do you want to hear the other birthday gift I got at four am?" He said, frowning and trying to cheer her up.

"Sure," She replied.

"So after my dream, I wake up and go into the kitchen, and I see Fowler sneaking through the house."

"What?" Miko asked, becoming animated again. "Fowler, why?"

"Why do you think?" He asked. "He was coming from my mother's room."

"Oh." Jack could practically see her eyes widen to Anime proportions.

"You know, it wouldn't bother me so much if they'd told me."

"That they were knockin' boots?" She asked.

"Dating, you mean?" Jack asked.

"Yeah."

"If someone said something, I'd be fine with it," he added. "I couldn't believe he was sneaking out. If he'd just been there for breakfast, I'd be cool."

"Really?" She asked.

"Maybe not" He realized. "But better than catching him walk slipping out on mom."

"Yeah, June doesn't need that," Miko agreed. "But she needs someone."

"I know," He frowned again, rocking back and forth in the swing. "I told him to stay for coffee. I called him 'Bill.'"

"Really?" Miko giggled again. "What are you going to?"

"I don't know." He said. "What is there to really do, anyway? Why would I stop them?"

"True," She agreed. "Want to meet up for breakfast?"

"Sure," He said. "I might insist on Bill coming along."

She broke out into giggles again, "Sure, we'll tag team him."

"Happy birthday, Jack," she said, finally.

"Thank you," he said, glad to hear it from someone who meant it. "You know, I meant what I said."

"I know, Jack," She replied after a long pause. "And I love you too."

"It just doesn't work."

"Nope," she said replied. He wasn't sure if she was agreeing with him, or adding new resolve.

They'd both been dancing around each other for weeks until an excursion with Bee in Tokyo. Knockout had been harassing street racers there while he was hunting for energon. Prime sent them to investigate. Miko had been emotional with being home for the first time in months. They'd the whole night running around town, avoiding anyone who knew her, and it turned out she knew a lot of people. As soon as they were alone, they both came unglued, kissing and groping.

It happened, and then nothing happened. It just hadn't felt right and once their clothes were off, everything just felt idiotic. They realized what was about to happen and admitted that neither of them were ready yet. They dressed and held each other until the time for them to slip out of the little, rented hotel room they gotten.

They never told Raf, or even any of the bots. He certainly never mentioned it to his mother.

"I'll see you at IHOP in an hour," Jack decided.

"I'll see if Raf's up."

"You do that," He smiled, finally, beginning to walk towards his back door.

"See you soon." The line finally went dead and he heaved a bit sigh of relief.

OoOoOoOoO

"I love you too, Miko" was the first thing Arcee heard after transforming to stretch her internal cabling. She turned the television on and frowned. She couldn't help but listen to everything going on around the house.

Slumping down onto the cold, cement floor, she brought her knees up to her chest. So that's how it was? She looked down at the floor, part of her processing power listened to the news from Reno, making sure they and their antics with the Decepticons stayed out of the news.

Scrap! Jack and Miko were friends. They were both about the same age. They were both same species and organic. Why was it so suddenly disappointing?

She filed it away. She could deal with whatever conflicted emotions were going through her processor later. It...it shouldn't matter, she tried to rationalize. She should be happy for them. After all Jack and Miko had been through together...

After all she had been through with Jack as well, she realized with a frown. Shouldn't that count for something?

Scrap! Scrap! Scrap! She scolded herself. These were the stupidest things for her to even think about. He's organic. He is barely into manhood by human standards. However, she knew if she went by their standards, Jack wouldn't be much younger than Bee.

And really, she wasn't much older than Bee herself. She glanced at her hip and patted it. Maybe it was time...?

Scrap! It was like Cliffjumper all over again. She shook her head and buried her head in her hands. Looking up, she let the images from the television hit her, meaning lost on her processor with it being overtaxed by trying to listen to anything other than what was going on in the infernal house.

Her frown deepened when she heard something else. June was getting up, and Agent Fowler was still in the house.

"I knew we should have told him," Fowler's voice said.

"I know," June replied in hush tones. "I know, I'm sorry he did that."

"It's alright," he replied. "Jack's a man now, and he's just trying to do right  
>his momma."<p>

Scrap, Arcee thought again. She had been wondering how long they would let it go on before telling Jack. They had been sneaking around for a year.

"You make me happy, Bill," June said, getting louder as they approached the kitchen, and thus her garage. "And Jack will just have to accept that."

"I do?"

"Yes, Bill, you do."

Arcee could practically see June's shy little smile when she was caught admitting something. Despite her usual misgivings about the Department of Defence special agent, Arcee felt like she could trust Bill Fowler the man. He was certainly better than any of the men June talked about in the past. He had also been there for Jack in more ways than his own father, and that had to count for something. Arcee just hoped this didn't spoil the...

She sighed, realizing Miko had probably already spoiled the surprise party. Even the simplest of plans were complicated when it came to the damn, squishy humans. When did she get so silly?

Bee trilled in her comm.

::What?:: She asked, leaning her head back against the wall, careful not to put a hole in the wood.

::Raf's meeting them at IHOP, are you going to be there?:: He said in his blips and beeps of Cybertronian.

::What?:: She asked the scout again.

::Rafael woke me saying Miko and Jack were meeting for breakfast,::  
>Bumblebee clarified. ::Something's up, and they're going to mess with Fowler.::<p>

::Oh,:: Arcee replied. ::No one's said anything to me yet.::

_I will not watch the door like the faithful, pet motorcycle_, she promised herself, even as she did.

::What's the word from Optimus?:: She asked.

::He doesn't have an opinion about parties,:: Bee guessed.

::I mean, about things with the Cons.::

::They've been quiet lately,:: He said. ::And he spends a lot of time staring at the big screen `with Ratchet.::

The last time she was back to base, Prime and Rachet had certainly been up to something. Their silence was worrying. Silence on both sides was troubling. Sometimes, master plans among Cybertronians could take years to fully play out.

::Well, if there's one thing I know about Decepticons," Arcee said. "They won't stay quiet long.::

::Or Mech,:: Bee replied.

The door opened slowly, and Arcee looked up. Jack stood by and watched her. "Hey."

"Morning," She looked down, unable to meet his eyes. The boy who impulsively promised the universe that a bike like her would be his one day had grown up into a man. He'd filled out, gotten taller. He was square shouldered in a way that made her think of Prime or Cliffjumper or-she sighed inwardly from a distant memory-Tailgate. He was tough like all of them too. She'd never seen an organic who was so Cybertronian to the core.

"I assume you heard?"

"Heard?" Her optics widened. What was she supposed to have heard?

"Mom and me?"

"No," She looked over at the garage door this time. "I was checking in Bee."

Jack folded his arms and frowned, "So how long have you known about mom and him?"

"A while," Arcee admitted, glad it was that and not the other thing. She should just leave he and Miko alone.

"Long enough to know," She added. "And long enough to know it was their business to work out."

"Right," He nodded, grimacing as he accepted another hard truth. She'd seen him accept so many it made her spark ache. "Well, I've laid down the law, and we're all getting breakfast."

He looked her in the eye and smiled, "Want to come?"

Megatron always accused them of treating the humans as their pets. Sometimes, it just felt the other way around. She knew Jack cared, but she knew they were still regarded as being 'other' and not human. He'd never get past that.

"Bee's taking Raf," She sighed.

"Good," Jack walked over and spontaneously hugged her tightly. "We need a big breakfast for a long day."

"Right," She smiled, transforming quickly, turning her good side for him hop on. When his helmet was on and he had his legs wrapped around her, she manifested Sadie behind him. With the visor up, the holoform leaned in, "Happy birthday, Jack."

His eyes widened as he say straight up. "I didn't know you could do that."

"There's a lot you just don't know," she said, smirking to herself.

"Evidently," Jack whispered, staring at the garage door. He could feel the holoform holding onto his waist, and in turn, though the holoform, Arcee could feel his tight stomach. It was still silly, but it gave her a little thrill.

Any thrill that didn't involve getting shot at was just too much a novelty to ignore.

She revved her engine, made the door go up as she kicked into gear and shot them both down the street.

Miko might be human, but she was still, only human. And her boy liked bikes.

OoOoOoOoO

He glanced over at Sadie-Arcee, now without her helmet, sitting across from him in the IHOP booth. They had beaten the others. Jack could only guess how many were really coming. He was still startled by how his birthday was turning out in just the first two hours after waking up. Was he still dreaming? Was it going to turn into a nightmare?

It was unreal, he thought as he looked her over. He hoped she didn't mind him staring, even if it should have been understandable. She still had a sharp, teardrop face with short, shoulder length black hair, large blue eyes that only looked like holograms if he looked into them too deeply. He wanted to stare into them, but he looked away, not because of the unreality of the situation, but because he just wasn't prepared. If he was forced to guess, she looked like dangerous chick in her early twenties. She definitely did not seem like Sierra.

"Well." He rubbed at the back of his head before glancing out to see where Arcee was also outside waiting in a parking spot. For once, to his eyes, she looked just like a bike. "This is...something."

"Yes, Jack," Arcee replied. It was her voice, but not. It sounded humanized to his ears. The illusion was amazing. It-she reached out to touch his hand. Pale, soft skin brushed his own. He did not know how to describe it, exactly. "It is."

"What?" He glanced at their hands. He swallowed hard. "How?"

"Wheeljack," She said, giving him a shrug. "He developed these little projectors for when he's on organic worlds. He said it was easier to move around in. Optimus asked for a few for us to blend in better."

"Oh," Jack blinked. "It's amazing."

"They're top secret so you know...," She added.

"And soon Miko and Raf will know," Jack added. "Unless you plan on disappearing."

"No, Jack, I don't bail on my partner." Not anymore, she added to herself. "We needed to field test it anyway."

"Does Optimus know you have it?"

"I...," She looked away. "Bulk and I discussed the possibility with him."

"And?" Jack knew he did not want encourage her in doing anything that would go against one of the big man's orders, especially over something as stupid as his birthday.

"He agreed this might be a good time for a field test," She hedged.

"But?" Jack drew out of her.

"He doesn't know I've got one, and that I am using it in town."

Jack leaned in closer.

"And this is meant to be a birthday present?" He'd never thought he could have a simple conversation with her like this.

"Yes," Arcee looked down.

"It's a good one," He frowned, looking down at their hands. He did not know what he should do. He forced back the questioning thought that wondered just what she could do with this new disguise.

"Whose that with Jack?" He heard his mother's voice.

He turned back to see her standing with Fowler. They stood close together like a comfortable couple. They might even have been mistaken for being married. For all that he had been told lately, they might already be married.

"I guess we continue this later?" He asked Arcee and she nodded minutely. All of her usual mannerisms were still there. It was still just too uncanny. Sadie was definitely a disguise for Arcee.

"So who is she, Jack?" June asked, smiling broadly.

He held his hand up before she could start. He pointed to the bike. "You already know my partner from the science fiction club, mom."

"Oh," June looked out the window before looking at the Sadie hologram. Quickly, surreptitiously, their hands slid apart.

"Well, all be damned," Fowler said. "Just when I thought I had you bots figured out, you never fail to add another trick."

"That's us," Arcee replied.

"So Sadie here called up and wanted to be here," Jack said a bit louder when the waitress came near enough to hear their conversation.

"Right, Sadie," June said, extending her palm out.

Jack moved around the big booth, moving his coffee with him, "I've got other questions for you both."

"I know, honey," June looked away. "We wanted to tell you, but..."

"But what?" Jack looked between them.

"If it didn't work out, we didn't want you to be hurt by it."

"So sneaking around?" Jack asked and glanced at Arcee.

"It wasn't my place to say anything," Arcee reminded him.

"Fine, whatever," Jack finally picked up a menu. "No more lying."

"Sure," June glanced at Bill, uncertain herself. She had never really been around both of them together like this.

"Agent Fowler," Arcee whispered quietly. "Hurt her, and I run you down in the street, and even Optimus won't be able to stop it."

"Right, I'll consider that noted." He glanced at June. Having seen Arcee in action before, he knew it was possibility. Somehow, he'd heard the story of how she'd had Starscream set for an execution, but stayed her hand because of her loyalty to the big man. Unhinged, she would do a lot of damage.

"So, can we get back to how I'm talking to you looking like a person?" Fowler asked.

"No." The bot said with a firm finality to her voice. "I'm just Sadie, Jack's..." She glanced at him. "Lab partner."

"You don't look like no high schooler I've ever seen."

"Well, I'm still perfecting it," Arcee grimaced, almost snapping.

"Hey," Jack smiled meekly. He wanted to grab her hand again for reassurance. "It looks good."

"You look gorgeous," June said, beginning to frown. She moved out of her seat.

"In fact, why don't you come to the bathroom with me, and I'll give you a few pointers."

Arcee cast a glance at Jack who shrugged minutely.

"Sure," She said. She was in their world, and she might as well try to learn how to blend in properly.

She wound through the restaurant, first following June, then figuring it out on her own. Instinctively, she checked the room. This was what a human bathroom looked like, she realized. She'd always imagined they would be cleaner, and not so much like an old oil drum...

Her head snapped up and eyes widened when she heard the soft click of the lock. Wheeling around, she backed up towards the wall. She knew she knew nothing more than the projection could be destroyed while she was walking around this way, the bulk of her consciousness still inside her silent motorcycle form outside.

June advanced on her, finger in the air accusatorially. It was hardly the cool cruelty of Airarachnid, or the malice of Megatron, but it still frightened Arcee nonetheless. It was something else entirely. Her fingers tips touched the cheap wallpaper. She was solid enough for her to have the basic four senses by way of the projector.

This was June, unarmed, always caring June...always much smaller than her June, she grasped. Scrap! She realized that June must have been one of those mean girls she had seen referenced in Earth movies.

And Arcee had just walked into her trap.

"Just what the hell is all this?" June spat out.

"All what?" Arcee asked.

"This body," She glanced at the door. Arcee followed her gaze. "His birthday."

"I don't think I had anything to do with the second part," Arcee countered.

"No, but you're sure up to something looking like that."

"Looking like-" Arcee looked at herself in the mirror. By local standards, she was not just pretty or cute, but- "Oh."

The affect was a lot different than it looked when she had been sculpting it based off her own template in her spark. Wheeljack explained that he had programed them to work a bit off how they would look if they had been born as part of that particular species to avoid copying another sentient being and risk running into the original.

"Oh," June folded her arms, guarding the door. "So explain."

"Explain what?" Arcee asked.

"Explain why suddenly today," She demanded.

"A surprise?" Arcee hoped that would be explanation enough. She had been treating Jack like a partner for months. She had been growing to depend on his steady nature. She counted him as a friend. She should not have to explain herself to his mother. Her son had been thinking and behaving like a man for a lot longer than the few hours he was legally declared one.

"Just a surprise?" June gave her a sidelong glance and frowned before unlocking the door.

"Fine. I'm not going to believe you, so we'll leave it unsaid." June added. "Mess up, and yours wouldn't be the first tires I've slashed."

"Right," Arcee heaved a sigh when June smiled and walked out. She would let the human woman have her victory, even if it was a prime insult to turn your back like June did. She was not beaten!

She steadied her hand, noticing how the nervous ticks carried over. Some things must have been deeply ingrained in her programing. Arcee had never gotten along well with other femmes of any species.

OoOoOoOoO

"Happy Birthday!" Miko exclaimed when she and Raf arrived at the table moments after June and Arcee left. Jack sighed, beginning to feel tired and strained already. If anything, he was glad to see her, not sure what he had to say to Fowler. If he could pick to save an awkward conversation for another time, it would be that one.

"No Bee?" Jack asked, looking over his shoulder.

"Outside, next to Arcee," Raf said, looking down unsteadily at the table. He slumped down next to Agent Fowler. He looked at tired as Jack felt, if not a whole lot more.

"Yeah, that was funny. Is Arcee not talking to us or something?" Miko asked, sliding into the booth next to Jack. She slid in close, thighs touching before leaning in to plant a peck on his cheek. He could feel her right hand searching for something before it found his. Not knowing what else to do, he took it.

Fowler caught his eye and a brow went up. Jack could only shrug. Fatigue was struggling with his emotional confusion. Eventually, someone had to come along and take an order, he hoped.

"So the man with his own helicopter finally found his own helicopter momma?" Miko said, at last, grinning viciously.

"What?" Raf looked at Jack, confused even as Fowler spit out his coffee.

"Miko!" Jack sat up straighter, even as she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"Fine, fine. I'll leave it alone," She said. "But you should have asked permission first."

"Whose?" He looked at Jack. For his part, he only raised his hand, not wanting to get into it.

"Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure, what did you do to Arcee to put her into one of her sulks?" She eyed Jack.

"Nothing-ah," He glanced at the hallway for the bathrooms. "I think you'll figure it out when you see."

"See?" Miko scrunched her nose, getting close to his face.

"Oh, the projectors," Raf realized. "She's using one?"

"You know about them?" Jack asked.

"Ratchet was playing with them," Raf explained.

"Ratchet?" Jack asked with surprise.

"I don't know," Raf shrugged. "Then Bulk asked for help getting one to work."

"And he didn't ask me?" Miko asked.

"Oh," Raf's eyes widened as if he remembered something important. "It is a surprise."

"Smooth one, kid," Fowler laughed, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder.  
>"You look like you need to be sleeping more and not staying up all night with Bulkhead and Ratchet. If you're going to be camping out there, they need to remember you aren't like them."<p>

"Oh, its not like that at all," Miko laughed. "Tell, them Raf."

He blushed, looking down.

"There's a girl," Fowler guessed.

"We don't need to talk about it," Raf said.

"It's fine," Jack rubbed his own eyes. He stretched his arms out, letting go of Miko's hand finally. His arms went out over the booth. Miko guessed it was time to sit closer, like he was subtly putting his arm around her. He looked at her, wondering if he was.

Was he? He wondered. He glanced at Fowler, frowned, and looked down. Miko felt right, like she belonged there with him, but she didn't all at the time. It was like his arm knew someone else was meant to be there. Times like this he really wished he had a dad. He looked at Fowler one more time, and decided why not. He'd do as long as he treated his mother right.

"You know that song by Jay-Z," Fowler asked, guessing at his thoughts. "'99 Problems'?"

Jack nodded.

"That ain't you," Fowler barked a laugh and took another gulp of his coffee.

Jack looked down and laughed uneasily himself, glad Miko did not know the song, and Raf was lost in his own little world.

"Hey," Fowler winked, finally catching a waitress when Arcee and June returned.

OoOoOoOoO

Eventually, they managed to settle in and order. Arcee kept to the coffee for the illusion, fairly certainly that a lack of internal organs meant eating and drinking were out. After all, what were the free floating nanites that made up her solid form going to do with it the matter. And if they did process it, will they defecate? Would she have to shed her pants and sit on one of those dirty things the humans use? She'd been tempted to shed her pants for other things, but that would be later-She glanced at Jack, and the warning glance Miko gave her-Instead of later, maybe not at all.

Wheeljack should have written a manual. Wondering what to do with this form was infinitely better than watching Miko fawn over Jack, and Jack return the attention.

::He's going to be so mad,:: She heard in her comm. She glanced outside to see Bumblebee sitting next to her. Poor guy would be lonely, she thought. Usually, they had their long talks and debates during times like these.

::You took one too, you could come inside,:: Arcee projected.

::Not supposed to,:: Bee said. ::It isn't an appropriate time.::

::When will it ever?:: Arcee snapped back. ::And you could try using English with them. It won't hurt you.::

::My vocals...:: He maintained. ::It won't process it right, you know that.::

::But these little things take the burden off our main processors. It's actually freeing to not have so much mental bulk weighing everything down. It's almost like having something the speed of a human's brain and limitations.::

::Is that a good thing?::

::I'm finding out,:: She decided.

::Why?:: Bee finally asked. ::Why do you need to know, or are you considering...?::

Arcee could tell the shock conveyed in his tone. She had been hoping to keep some of her intentions to herself. Metal and organic were not necessarily unheard of in the galaxy, but definitely not always approved. To creatures like Airachnid, organic life was lesser life, but Arcee had spent too much time on Earth now to realize her options were limited.

Cybertronians live a long time, she reflected, and her human pet was good by any civilized standard. She glanced at Jack again. She could protect this one. This one won't be stupid like Tailgate or Cliffjumper and get caught by a Con.

It was also freeing to be consciously away from her aching spark, she realized.

::Fine, I'll be in there." Bee comm'd in a huff. ::I just hope this isn't the day Mech passes through Jasper looking to raid Fallon.::

::Whatever,:: Arcee replied. ::I ordered you to use it as part of your training to adapt to changing situations.::

She sighed when his driver's side door opened. A skinny black guy climbed out of the seat and she smirked.

"Agent Fowler, I think your cousin is here," She said, getting his attention.  
>"What?" He looked around, seeing Bumblebee stagger for a moment like he drunk before finally stepping onto the sidewalk.<p>

"Cassius?" Fowler asked, his eyes widening as he realized.

The others turned to look themselves.

"Bee?" Raf asked, worry evident. "Optimus didn't say any of you could use those yet. Ratchet is still checking them out."

"Oh," Arcee shook her head, finally getting up to go help Bumblebee inside. He was staring at the door.

::For Primus sake, you've seen them use it,:: She scolded him before rushing to push it open for him.

"Cassius, you shouldn't drive this tired." She leaned in closer to whisper, "We're scouts, we're going to be using these a lot soon, I think. And Fowler's calling you Cassius."

"Sure?" He looked up, surprised to hear his own voice translated into English.

"The local dialect detectors programmed in. Something we should copy and weld into you." She walked slow beside him as Fowler rose to get a chair for the new holoform.

"But we can speak Cybertronian when it is just us," She added, still in a whisper.

"Yes," Bumblebee replied after he sat in the chair. He stared at the rest of them as they stared back.

"Bee?" Raf asked, wide eyed.

"Rafael," he mustered. "This is an awkward language."

"Oh, don't I know it," Miko agreed.

"Like you've got room to talk," Fowler commented, pointing at her with a fork before June pushed it away. "When I was stationed in Japan, I tried to learn the language, but it was always a mess."

"It's a clever language for clever people," She crossed her arms and turned her head. "Can't imagine an oaf like you being able to understand."

"Is that why you're here?" Jack snickered at her scowl.

Playfully, she elbowed him, "You should thank me for setting you up like that."

"Cybertronian isn't that hard," Raf said, changing the subject. "We just can't make the right sounds."

"Right," Jack looked at Arcee as she looked away from he and Miko.

"We could," Raf replied. "It's like speaking in a programing language or binary."

"No offense, but I don't think even you could...," Arcee started.

"I don't have the right mouth, but-" He pulled out a pen and started scribbling in their glyphs on a napkin.

"Oh," Arcee replied, sitting back.

Bee leaned forward and looked at the paper himself, "Raf, I don't think Arcee wants to hear that she looks funny as a human being."

Raf scribbled more glyphs, smirking.

"And definitely not that," Bee replied.

"How...?" Arcee asked.

"Your computers taught me," Raf replied. "But I can't really make the sounds. I can't really call them words like we use."

"Like ancient Egyptian or something," Fowler guessed before snatching up the paper with the glyphs. He tucked them into his jacket. "Another discussion not for the public, either. No dictionaries or Rosetta Stones either."

"Yes, sir," Raf sighed.

"That's not to say that this isn't impressive, Raf," he added.

"Right," he looked down. "But what if more of them come?"

"We're just supposed to be careful of their secrets. We can let Ratchet worry about a dictionary." He added. Fowler looked at Arcee and Bumblebee both. "Right?"

"Very careful," she said, wondering if there was a hidden message in his tone.

"Especially if Optimus doesn't want something getting out," He added.

There it was, Arcee shook her head. Fowler did not command her. She also wondered just how long Optimus would be as well. She glanced at Jack.

Could she walk away from being an active Autobot?

OoOoOoOoO

"You okay?" Jack leaned into Arcee when they were well on their way to the Autobot's bunker. By the time they were racing out of town, Sadie's projection had flickered away and the projector was safely stowed on her hip storage compartment. She'd been silent the whole time, and the amusement and fun of the whole morning was starting to run out with fatigue and stress. Miko was disappointed he decided to ride out with Arcee instead of what passed for Bumblebee's back seat.

Miko had never come on that strong before, even after a couple drinks at a party after graduation. They'd went together, thinking they might try a date or two after Japan to see how it worked for them. Still, it just never did. Something kept holding them both back, or Sierra would pop up and he'd be tongue-tied. Then Miko would make fun of her, and it'd put him off.

After that? And then the dream with Arcee? It wasn't like that was a real possibility. There were just too many differences for Miko to be threatened...

Then again, if Miko wanted something, she went for it, and damned the consequences. He just could not tell what she wanted. She never said she wanted to actually date. They'd talked about it, but with her student visa, she never wanted to tie Jack down. He always drew the line before becoming friends with benefits.. Even if it was too tempting.

What he wanted was his girl, his Arcee. In the dust, Jack remembered a time when he tried to wash her in front of the garage to impress Sierra. Arcee had balked at first, but relented. He could only smirk when he watched her turning to look in a mirror to look at the shine he'd put on her paint job. She'd even thanked him for the hand wash and buffing...

"Yeah...," She turned off into the desert, taking them away from the base. "Look, can we talk?"

"Yeah," he replied. She'd never before done anything like this. She had certainly never asked to talk. He had a million times, but never Arcee. It worried him.

They followed an old, worn out dirt trail that passed a few struggling shrubs and stopped in front of a big boulder. They had been out there before. With the view, and the litter, it was clear to Jack that quite a few people in Jasper knew the spot, but somehow, it was always deserted. From the condom wrappers, cigarette butts, and empty beer cans, he could tell people did more than talk at that spot. Tire tracks led everywhere around the bushes.

He hoped up on the large rock as she transformed. He watched her, glad to see the Arcee he knew and loved rather than the holoform he just did not know how to deal with. There was an elegant, coiled beauty to the way she moved, nothing ever wasted. She was Angelina Jolie in robot form, not an imitation. He did not think there was anyone he knew or trusted more, not his mother or Miko. Certainly not Sierra, which seemed silly in hindsight after graduation, like he had been clinging to something ridiculously normal in the midst of so much insanity in saving the world from aliens, and men who wanted to use those aliens to take over the world themselves.

"What's wrong?" He asked after a few moments of silence as they both observed each other.

She folded her arms and looked away.

Right, Jack thought. She wanted to talk and she was the one giving him the silent treatment. "Or should I ask Ratchet for a ground bridge?"

Arcee's optics widened. "No, Jack."

She sat down on the ground, low enough so they could both look each other in the eye. "I know I don't have any right to ask, but what's going on between you and Miko?"

"Miko." He looked away himself. "I don't know."

His head snapped up again, his gaze settled on hers. "Why?"

"Nothing, just in the restaurant...," She frowned and looked down.

"Was, I don't know what. It was all, mostly Miko." He shook his head.

"Sometimes, she's as easy to be physical with, like a bad habit. I should have known better than to call her like I did," he added after a moment's hesitation.

"Why did you call her?" Arcee asked.

"Fowler," he said, holding back.

"That warrants a call at four in the morning?"

"It was pretty messed up, Arcee," he said.

"You're holding out on me."

"So what if I am?" He jumped down off the boulder and began to pace. "I don't have to tell you everything."

"No, you certainly don't." She agreed. "You don't have to tell me anything."

"I'm leaving soon." He swallowed hard. "What happens then?"

"Am I still your protector while you're in college?"

"Are we still partners? Am I still part of this?"

"Prime hasn't said anything," Arcee admitted. His lack of attention to their growth always worried her.

"Jack." Her long arm reached out for him. Scrap, this was painful."I don't have all the answers."

"Well, when someone has them, they need to let me know," He shook his head.

"I..." She gasped before saying it. "Jack, I'm going to ask Optimus to let me go with you."

"What?" His eyes widened.

"How, what will you do? I...I can't just keep you hidden in my dorm room. You saw the pictures, they're tiny. Or what, you'll sit in a parking garage?"

Sadie flickered into existence. She walked towards Jack slowly. Her aged morphed carefully so she matched Jack's a bit closer.

"A good scout learns the terrain. They study it. The best live on it and become as good as a native." She learned as much from her own teachers, and she had passed that same information on to him time and time again as they poured over maps.

"So this is what? You fighting the war better?" He refused to budge.

"No, Jack," She sighed. "We have to stop mourning Cybertron and start thinking about the rest of our existence. And no matter what Megatron thinks, this planet is too populous for him to hold it with the few hold outs he has, either. Especially if they're all as fickle as Knockout and Airachnid."

The old buckethead had his chance to wipe out the human race too many times over, and he passed it by desperate to rule something.

"We have to start living again," She said before she grabbed him by the shoulders. Her lips pressed against his. His eyes widened before he kissed her back. He did not know what to do other than what he wanted.

And he wanted to give in, give into this silly dream. It was too intense for him to process. It wasn't fun like kissing Miko. It wasn't anything like he imagined. He just wanted it. He wanted her.

Finally, he staggered away and stared. His mouth fell open. "I called Miko because I had a dream about you and me.

"Oh," Arcee's eyes widened.

Her comm buzzed.

"This better be important," She snarled.

"Arcee, it is," Ratchet sounded like he was out of breath. "There's a Cybertronian warship coming to Earth."

"What?" The projector dropped to the ground as he body came back to life.

"One of ours or theirs?" She asked.

"Ours," Ratchet said, his excitement was pouring through the comm.

"Which one?" She ask.

"The Ark."

"Scrap," Her eyes widened.

"Does Prime know?

"For days now," He said. "But they're coming in a little hot and fast. It looks they've already encountered Nemesis, and taken on damage."

"What do we do?" She asked.

"We meet them see if they will need treatment."

"Where?" She looked up, seeing a shadow pass over them. "Oh. Scrap."

"Indeed," Ratchet replied. "We'll be meeting them there shortly."

"A warship?" Jack asked.

"Captained by Elita One herself," Arcee said with a mix of pride and amazement. "Prime's girl, with another fifty or so bots on board. Some of the best."

"Scrap," he agreed.

"So what do we do?" He asked.

"We meet them," She said, already kicking into gear.

He looked up into her optics, "I meant us."

"We're partners," She said. "We can work out details later."

Leaping, she landed on both tires. "Now, hop on before the gate opens up and we get run over by Optimus."

"Right," He said, uneasily. "Arcee?"

"Jack?" She said.

"I think I love you."

"I think I love you too," She said, her engine revving.

He leaned over and kissed her Autobot symbol. "Always knew I'd have a bike like you someday."

"Happy birthday, Jack," She said finally before they sped off to follow the shadow streaking across the desert floor, making a bee-line for a nearby hill.


	2. Chapter 2

****Transformers Prime: New Beginnings Part 2  
><strong>**

**Details**

A dust trail filled the air as Arcee and Jack raced through the desert, following the great shadow of the Ark as it headed straight for the nearest mountain.

"It's going down, Arcee," he said, eyes widening. He didn't need to the enhancements from the heads-up-display built into his helmet to know that these Autobots were in serious trouble.

"I know," She buzzed in his ear. "But we still have to try to help when they do land."

"If there's enough left when they do," Jack was having a hard time holding out hope. With the smoke billowing from both reentry and the damage, it looked like the large vessel was in serious damage.

"Brace for impact!" There was a crackle across the entire radio spectrum in warning.

"Scrap!" Arcee shouted, launching herself in the air before the shock-wave hit. The ground rumbled. A wave of dust billowed their way. His eyes shut involuntarily as he let go of her handlebars. For the briefest of moments, he felt weightless before landing with a hard thud in her arms.

She held him for a moment as he glanced up at her face. She smirked down at him. Blaster fire started up in the distance.

"We should keep going," Jack said, coming to his senses as he looked at the settling crash site. A mile out, there was something racing towards them.

"Yeah," She agreed, squinting to zero in on the two wheeler. He slid from her arms, preparing for a quick transformation and a jump on her seat.

"No way, is it really -" She got out before it transformed and fired a blaster bolt at Arcee's chest. Her eyes widened as she went down. falling to her knees.

Hurrying, Jack reached into the holster hidden under his jacket, one he only had by special approval by Prime, and levelled the blaster. Fortunately, Arcee had drilled him on the weapon for months before he was ever allowed to secretly carry it around. It networked with his helmet, tracking the Cybertronian as it ran towards them.

The gold and black bot stopped. Jack's finger hovered over the trigger, waiting to shoot. He realized that pulling the weapon was becoming a habit rather than a panicked necessity. His eyes narrowed, his mouth was hard set as he waited for the intruder.

Normally, he would not have hesitated for so long and shot at whoever was shooting at them, but this time... Something felt wrong about the situation.

"Jack, wait," Arcee's voice rang out in his ears.

"Arcee," The other bot said. Jack's targeting centered on the Autobot symbol on his chest. Quickly, he was identified from the database: Prowl. He held the weapon ready.

"I see you haven't lost your touch," Arcee said, sitting up slowly, unsteadily. She smirked, even as her left hand gripped her right shoulder rotor.

"We were attacked by 'Cons on the way in," He explained as Jack lowered the weapon. He wasn't sure he wanted to give it up. "We weren't sure what to expect with you riding up unidentified and in such a hurry."

Prowl offered her a hand that she waved off. Eventually, she stood.

"Welcome to Earth," Arcee said, glancing down. "This is Jack, my-" Jack could hear the uncertainty in her voice. "Partner."

"Partner?" Prowl's brow shot up.

"What happened to Cliff-" He started to ask before a ground bridge whirled into existence. All three stopped to watch as the procession of the other remaining Autobots arrived.

"He does make an entrance," Prowl said as Optimus Prime raced past them with Bulkhead and Bumblebee. The sun glinted off his windshield. Prowl's optic shades slid into place to protect his vision.

"That he does," Arcee agreed, folding her arms. "Is she with you?"

"Yes, and Ironhide," Prowl added. "Old Kup and Hotrod joined up with us on the way."

"Is that...?" She looked at the ship. There were two streaks from jet exhaust as two cons shot off into the sky once the battle had finally died down. There was wreckage from the crash, and the remains of a few of their attackers.

"Yes," Prowl watched himself grimly. "Thundercracker and Skywarp. Prisoners we picked up along the way."

"Scrap," Arcee frowned.

"What?" Jack asked, not liking all that was being left unsaid between Arcee and this Prowl. Their familiarity left him feeling unsettled.

"Starscream's brothers," Arcee clarified.

"Just what we needed," She smirked. "Just what Megatron needed too."

"So not on our side," Jack folded his arms and stood closer to Arcee, attempting to stand between the two bots.

"But maybe not on Megatron's either," Arcee added, a hand resting carefully on Jack's shoulder.

"They were headed this way anyway," Prowl shrugged. "It was inevitable."

"So just you five?" Arcee said.

"This was supposed to be a rescue," Prowl looked back at the smoking ship as Bulkhead pulled up.

"Jack!" Miko jumped out of the driver's seat and ran towards him as Fowler took a more leisurely pace. She hugged him tightly. Her eyes were wide with manic fascination of the destruction. She pulled Jack's helmet off as he put his weapon away.

She looked up at the new, black and gold bot, "Whose he?"

"Prowl!" Bulkhead transformed and put a giant paw on the smaller bot's shoulder, pulling him into an affectionate hug. "Old buddy, how's Jazz?"

"Home," he replied, strained by the large bot's strength.

"Home?" Arcee asked.

"Home!" Bulkhead repeated with surprise. "Cybertron?"

"Not..." Prowl looked back. "Not quite. We should go back and wait until we're secure."

"Of course," Arcee agreed.

"Prime wants us," Bulkhead said, transforming.

"About time," Arcee sighed, transforming herself.

"Race you," She said, speeding off and leaving sand at Prowl's feet.

"I see some things just don't change," Prowl said before joining her in pursuit.

"Oh hell," Bulkhead chuckled, a door opening. "Coming Miko?"

"Sure, sure." She pulled her phone off to start taking snapshots.

"Agent Fowler," He replied. "And... uh... Jack?"

"Coming," Jack ground his teeth, not liking any of it.

"More bots," Fowler shook his head when he was in Bulkhead's backseat with Jack.

"How the hell am I going to clean this up?"

"I don't know," Jack said, watching Arcee and Prowl rocket through the desert. He checked his watch. Fifteen minutes. He had been together with Arcee for fifteen minutes and she had already run off with some other bot.

"Well, it looks like we've got something else to celebrate for the party," Miko said, looking back at Jack.

Bulkhead's console lit up, "Miko, it was a surprise!"

"She told me hours ago, Bulk," Jack laughed uneasily. He glanced over at Fowler who was working on his Blackberry.. At least, he could be professional about this.

"Aww," Bulkhead sighed. "Miko!"

"What?" She folded her arms. "I did it to cheer Mr. Grumpy-old-fart-pants up."

"And it did, Bulkhead," Jack assured him.

"Bombs," Fowler smirked to himself. "Old, undiscovered, previously unexploded ordinance."

His phone was to his ear as he started issuing orders. "Bulk, let Prime know I'll have a small fleet of choppers here in twenty minutes. We'll cordon off the area for salvage."

"Uh," Bulkhead replied. "He got it."

"Thanks, big guy," Fowler said, going back to his phone.

"So you and Miko?" Fowler asked Jack quietly, not looking up.

Jack looked up at him, frowning, clutching his helmet.

"No," He replied in a near whisper.

"Does she know that?" Fowler glanced at Jack, giving him a meaningful look.

"Kup and Hotrod are here?" Bulkhead said as they pulled out. His doors swung open quicker than usual. Of them all, Bulkhead seemed to mind passengers the least, but he seemed more excited than a little boy on Christmas. "Ready to meet some legends, Miko?"

"Sure thing, Bulk," She said, jumping out.

Jack held on tight to his helmet, which always felt like a piece of Arcee he carried around. He stood next to Fowler, content to watch even as Arcee caught his eye. She winked and nodded her head for him to come over. He breathed a little easier and shook his head.

He put a hand on Fowler's shoulder and lead him a little further away into the desert.

He looked Fowler in the eye, "It really isn't Miko..."

"Prime!" The large, red bot laughed before leading his leader into the damaged ship. "Glad to know you're still fightin'"

"Yes, Ironhide, though we have lost a few and all had many close calls, we still fight Megatron," Prime agreed grimly. The remains of their Decepticon attackers littered the halls. He frowned grimly as he had been more and more in recent months. He could only see the remains of lost Cybertronians now, and not the remains of killed enemies. Orion Pax asked himself yet again, where had this war left them?

"It is good that you and the others have made it this far," he said carefully. "And it is good what you've built."

"Prime," Ironhide said. "You've no idea. I thought my spark would crumble when we left Cybertron and watched her die."

"I know, Ironhide," Prime said in agreement. "Which is why we must not let Megatron know about the colony. At least, on Earth, he is lost to defeat."

They wound their way through the halls, heading towards the bridge. Optimus hesitated, sensing that Elita was just on the other side of the jammed open door.

"Finally decided to arrive, did you?" Her voice said. She turned in her captain's chair to look at him. They regarded each other for a long time. It'd been... Prime realized he was no longer sure how many cycles it had been since they had last seen each other.

He frowned and looked away first. He just was not the same bot he was when they last parted. Too much happened. There'd been too much time in between. Captain Elita-One had never known Orion Pax, who felt more like an impostor than truly Optimus Prime. How much did she admire the Matrix rather than the bot himself?

"I will…" Ironhide looked between them both from the door, unsure whose leave he needed. "I will go over the damage."

"A nano-vorn, Ironhide," Prime raised his hand, beckoning him to wait.

Optimus tapped his wrist, activating a speaker for a communicator, "Ratchet, are the humans on the way?"

"Yes," Ratchet's voice filled the room. "Helicopters, as Fowler said. No sign of 'Con activity. It seems like the two 'Cons who bugged out aren't interesting Megatron's people."

"No sign of Soundwave or Airarchnid?"

"No, Prime," Ratchet said.

"Organics," Elita said skeptically, giving the Cybertronian version of a snort.

"Who have been more help to our cause in recent vorns than I care to recount," Prime said, standing taller.

"Good to hear your vocalizer, you old hatchet-bot," Ironhide said to lighten the mood.

"Yes," Ratchet chuckled. "Why? Do you have dents to bang out?"

"Always," Ironhide laughed.

"It is good some old bonds last," Prime said before turning to Ironhide. "Very well, begin assessing the damage.

"Ratchet," He added. "If the situation changes, notify Agent Fowler and myself immediately."

"Very well," Ratchet's comm went dead as Prime folded his arms. He frowned as he looked over Elita. How had time treated her? Had she changed as much as he had?

"I will-"

"Go, Ironhide," Elita said, watching Optimus.

"Prime?" Ironhide asked.

"Do what is needed," Optimus commanded. "Ask for Agent Fowler to begin coordination."

"Til all are one," Ironhide saluted, before finally leaving.

"Till all are one," Optimus repeated, looking down.

"Optimus," Elita stood slowly from her captain's seat, the connecting cables slithered away from her body.

"Orion." His optics looked into hers. "Optimus Prime was a title bequeathed by the Matrix of Leadership."

"The Matrix?" She asked, looking down herself.

"Is now a ghost rumbling around my own storage," He said. "After Unicron, only the key to Vector Sigma could retain my memories, but the power of the matrix is lost. I am the bot I was when this all began with Megatronus."

"Megatron," She shook her head in her own disbelief.

Optimus looked down the empty hall, wondering when he would hear Miko or Agent Fowler's voice echoing down the halls.

"We were lucky our young friends were fastidious in holding it tight," He said at last.

"You trust the humans?" Elita's metallic brow shot up.

"As much as I trust Cybertronians, Elita," Optimus said, cryptically. "However, we have found a few who are deserving of our trust and respect. As a guest on this planet, I expect all Autobots to honor our covenants."

"Yes...Prime," She said, bowing her head in acquiescence. He may not have the Matrix, but it was not a prerequisite to be their leader.

She moved closer to him, inching carefully. Prime was not sure what it was in her optics. There had been so much time... so much had happened. He looked deep into her optics. Orion Pax's spark still burned brightly for her, even though he'd only ever known her as Optimus. "I would have once composed bad Praxian sonnet's for you..." He'd told her long ago in the respite between space battles when she captained his command ship. There very one they stood in.

"Elita...I..." The words refused to vocaliize for Prime. His helm bent to rest against hers.

"I know, Opti-Orion," She replied, leaning into him. The captain bled out of her composure. Her smaller hand wrapped in his. "My spark-song has missed yours, my love."

"Even if I am not...?" The question lingered in the air between them as her spark chamber cracked open and her data cables sought his own. They joined, sharing a moment of bliss as their spark energy mingled. Once again, they were one...

"Oh, oily fragging scrap," a voice said from the other side of the bridge as a bot sat up. "Why did I hard boot like..."

"Slipstream," Prime frowned, his connecting cables slicing back into his chamber as it snapped shut.

"Optimus Prime," The seeker smiled, moving to sit up against the wall. "Well, now, I must have made it to the Well of All Sparks after all. Or was I a good girl just to catch my captors with their spark chambers open?"

"Slipstream," Prime repeated, advancing on the flier. His energon blade was aflame.

"Wait," Her optics widened. "Wait, I'm a prisoner. Tell her Captain. I'm a prisoner and you cannot do that."

"A prisoner would need a prison," Optimus reminded her. "And we do not have anything like that on this planet."

He leaned down, his blue face close to hers, "Do I make myself clear?"

Slipstream nodded quickly before a blast of energy hit her. Prime looked at Elita-One.

"Stasis ray," She explained with a long venting of her exhaust. "Simpler. I just wish we hadn't picked her or her brothers up along the way."

"Megatron had finally broken Starscream down," Optimus shook his own head. "This could embolden him again."

"Megatron's problem, right?"

Optimus let it linger. There was too much to consider. Instead, "I will move her personally in the trailer. Fowler's helicopters should be flying in nano-vorns."

Suddenly, the ship shook with a large crash. Something had banged against the hull. Elita steadied herself against Prime. "Oh, now what?"

"Optimus?" Jack's voice yelled from the hall. He stopped running at the doorway. "Somehow, Bumblebee got loose. There's a fight."

"Bumblebee?" Prime asked.

Arcee shook her head, offering a hand to Bulkhead as he struggled to stand. Their little scout had thrown him against the side of the ship in an effort to get Bulk to release the grip he held onto him. If it had been a 'Con like Breakdown, she would be praising him.

"Fights like a beserker," Prowl said, sidling next to her and Bulkhead as Bee's fist reached up to connect with Hot Rod's face. The fast talking Wrecker started backing away. The clicks and beeps of Cybertronian insults filled the desert as the yellow and black bot ranted as he pounded away.

Finally, Hot Rod regrouped with a quick jab and a upper cut. The other bots circled around them, giving them space.

"Kick his tail pipe in, Bee!" Miko yelled.

"Miko!" Bulkhead grabbed her before she could get too close with her recording camera.

"Should we step in?" Prowl asked Arcee.

"Probably, someone," She shrugged. "Kup's a senior officer."

"And just as willing to let them pound on each other," Prowl reminded her. "It is the Wrecker way."

"I'd rather watch," Arcee folded her arms. She looked around and frowned. "I can't stand that loudmouth prick anyway. And challenging Bee was out of line with the scrap he's pulled."

"Prick?" Prowl asked.

"Human term," Arcee shrug. "They rub off."

"I saw," Prowl smirked as he watched the fight. "Where is your little 'partner'?"

"Getting Optimus, most likely," Arcee glanced at Prowl, raising her own brow at his tone.

"So organics?" Prowl asked. "I never figured you for the fetish."

Arcee scowled and looked away. What was she supposed to say?

"It isn't unusual," she replied after a few moments of silence. Bumblebee took a hard hit before smacking into the dirt. A cloud of dust was kicked into the air.

"Get'em Bee!" Miko yelled again, now from Bulkhead's shoulder.

"What?" Hot Rod challenged. "No love for me?"

"Sure," Kup chuckled through his thorium-cigar. "If you'd learn to keep your mouth shut, you wouldn't get beat on every planet we go to."

"Slag off!" He laughed before rushing Bumblebee. "Is that all you got, bug-bot?"

More insults were hurled at Hot Rod, Arcee noticed Bee's tone was changing as it was turning more into a sparring match than the temper filled rage it started as. Bee was preening as much as Hot Rod. She'd forgotten how much he used to do it when Cliffjumper was around. Damn, she thought. Cliffjumper.

"Con's got Cliffjumper a couple Earth years ago, right before I stumbled on Jack," Arcee admitted to Prowl.

"Arcee," Prowl put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry. How?"

"Being stupid," She shrugged. It had become a dull, emotional scar that she only picked at when she needed to remember. "Stupid, arrogant, and foolish when it came to taking on 'Cons. Starscream finished him off. Then they used his body for a Dark Energon experiment."

"Primus," Prowl's optics widened. "That's how its been here on Earth?"

"Along with Unicron being the center of planet, sure," Arcee looked at him. "But it's home. Jack's..."

"Jack's getting Optimus Prime rather than stand around to watch two fools fight the wrong fight?" Prowl speculated.

"He's always been that way," Arcee admitted. "Being the best of what we could be, should be."

"Like a clerk who stood up to Senate and then his partner in politics for the spark our people?"

"Ratchet's said it before," Arcee looked down. "He makes me want to be a better bot."

"Then why haven't you broken up the fight?" Prowl asked.

"Some things must be settled, master," She replied. "And some things can only be stopped by greater forces."

"Or Elita-One," Prowl nodded towards the open door where both of the bots were standing. Optimus's arms were folded as he looked on.

"What in Unicron's Dark Spark is going on around here?" Elita yelled. glaring at both bots. The fight stopped as Bumblebee hung his head, looking down.

Arcee gave a very human sounding snort as she folded her own arms and leaned against the hull. She whispered to Prowl. "Remind me to tell you about that."

"Oh, Elita, just a bit of horseplay," Kup said, looking at them both. He nodded towards the other. "Prime."

"Sergeant," He replied.

Optimus turned towards the combtants, "Bumblebee, Hot Rod, save this for practice rounds later, or for the remaning Decepticons. In the meantime, we've got the humans coming in to secure this place."

He looked down at Jack, "And we have things to celebrate back at base."

Arcee looked up when she heard the steady beat of helicopters. Her spark trembled for a second as she remembered Airarachnid, but with so many choppers heading their way, her worry faded.

"Prowl," She said finally. "No one else knows yet. It just sort of happened."

"My vocalizer is muted on the matter, my student," Prowl put a hand on her shoulder. "Let's see this base and swap stories."

"Really, Optimus, we don't have to," Jack started to say as he looked for the other humans.

"We now have even more reason for celebration, Jack," Optimus knelt to speak only to him. "And your mother has put a lot of effort into a party. I do not want to disappoint her."

Their leader stood again, raising his fist into the air. "Till all are one!"

"Till all are one!" Arcee and the others replied with feeling.

::His beacon is up ahead:: The metallic blue Seeker communicated to his brother. They flew in close formation, skimming the surface of the Earth's Moon, just above the rims of the ancient craters. Light shone down from the local star. It was a breathtaking, but lonely place. Just the sort of place his brother would pick to pout.

::He must have truly pushed the limits this time, brother,:: The inky black one communicated across the void in reply. The only telltale sign he was there was by the absence of stars shining through his paint, and the slight crackling of energy that made it possible for localized teleportation.

::Yes:: Thundercracker replied. ::We owe those drones we shot on our way out a debt of gratitude for facilitating our escape while they attempted to storm the vessel.::

::I will name a sparkiling for them then.:: Skywarp commented. :::What will we do about Slipstream?::

::What could be done? We barely made it past old Kup and that psychotic killbot Hot Rod.:: Thundercracker just hoped that she and the Autobots on the Ark were killed in the crash, or will be dismantled by the backwards, organic population on the planet before Megatron could discover they hitched a ride to aide their brother and Wing Commander.

::We never should have ranged so far,:: Skywarp said again. Thundercracker could not understand his incessant guilt. Starscream was always good at getting into trouble, even when they were there to vaporize the pieces.

::We fly where our Wing Commander commands,:: Thundercracker reminded him as they began their final descent into Starscream's hidden base.

They hovered for one moment, before transforming and dropping slowly to the landing small landing bay. Thundercracker searched the airless space around them before knocking on the camouflaged door in front of them. Starscream made sure there were several bolt holes for he and his brothers in every system they searched with a stock of energron ready at a moment's notice.

In the Terran system, there was one on the fourth planet of the system, three more scattered amongst the moons of each of the largest gas giants, and another on one of the tiny, icy worlds that orbited slowly around this insignificant yellow star. Only their fool of a brother would pick the one closest to the action. This was, of course, the one they did not know about before flying off on a mission to locate more planets with deposits of energon.

::Starscream, we are here,:: Thundercracker comm'd angrily. ::Open the slagging door before we catch notice of one of Soundwave's pets.::

::Yes, yes,:: Starscream's replied over the channel.

Skywarp looked back at his blue brother, worry plain in his optic shades. ::I don't like this.::

::Thirty nano-vorns and we leave,:: Thundercracker decided.

::Where to?:: Skywarp asked as the rock opened up into a sliver of a door. It was just big enough for the seekers to file in single file. Thundercracker nodded for his brother to go first, his blaster held ready in case it was a trap by Megatron. They walked into darkness.

Lights from dials and buttons came alive all around them, giving them enough illumination for their optic sensors to take over for their positioning radar. Both 'Cons moving back to back as the room began to slowly drop.

::How long has this been here?:: Skywarp wondered.

::He's been back and forth to this system for centuries,:: Thundercracker speculated. ::With enough nanities and time, anything can be constructed without supervision.::

::LIke that colony those Autobots weren't taking about,:: Skywarp reminded him.

::In a system rich in energon,:: Thundercracker thought they were full of sludge. ::I agree with Slipstream, the way they kept mentioning it to peak our interests, then pulling back? It must be a trap.::

::What is a trap, Thundercracker?:: Starscream joined in on their communication.

::In time, brother,:: Thundercracker said as the elevator finally lowered itself into an open hangar bay. It was open all around them. The platform they rode on locked in place, and both Seekers stepped off.

"Brothers," Starscream vocalised into the air filled room.

"Atmosphere, in here?" Thundercracker asked, curious as he approached.

Starscream looked back at them both with an amused grin. "I believe you said I enjoyed the sound of my own vocalizing?"

"I did, brother," Thundercracker strode further into the room, chuckling.

"Wing Commander," Skywarp laughed himself, embracing Starscream. "It is good to be a proper trine again."

"That it is, brothers," Starscream turned to look at Thundercracker's back wings. They were folded back in repose as he looked over the computer screens. He stood up tall, hands behind his back, while Starscream hunched over bird-like.

"We would have been here sooner," Skywarp said finally. "But we heard the faint pulse of Slipstream's distress signal near Junkion."

"After that last battle there, she'd managed to get as far as an asteroid before falling into stasis," Thundercracker turned to face their leader.

"Where is she now?" Starscream asked, anger creeping into voice.

Skywarp placed a hand on Starscream's shoulder, "She was still recovering from her damage while we were on board as prisoners of the Autobots."

"Prisoners?" He asked, looking to Thundercracker.

"She could barely fly," He replied. "They were headed out way."

Thundercracker bowed slightly, "We knew you would provide when called, but those damned drones..."

"Yes," Starscream shook his head, thinking of what now passed for their seeker comrades. "I've come to see the error of my alliances."

"So we kill Megatron?" Thundercracker's chest jutted out as his arms folded.

Starscream's fingers waived about in the air nervously. "It is not so easy as that. He's taken up with his favorite pleasure bot again."

Thundercracker's optics rolled as he frowned. He could feel a dull ache in his rattling around his head. "I thought we were rid of her?"

"Not on that she is back," Starscream raised his arms in annoyance. "She's assumed control... Well, as much control as Soundwave would allow any of us to have."

"An accident should have happened to him long ago," Thundercracker added.

"Believe me, I've tried," Starscream shook his head.

"We could try warping him into the gravitational pull of a sun again," Skywarp suggested.

"You've tried twice," Thundercracker reminded him. "You never get close enough.

"And Megatron would miss him," Starscream shook his head, holding up a dismissive hand. "Plotting to undo the Decepticons is useless. The Matrix is lost. Our planet is lost. There is only waiting for the solar cycles to pass for our bodies to rust away."

"Is that why you are in an air filled tomb?" Thundercracker asked. "So you will oxidize?"

Starscream scowled at his older spark brother before turning in a dismissive wave, "I have just been biding my time until something of interest came along. I still have my spies within Nemesis."

"Who? The ground pounder that spends his days and nights waxing himself worse than the highest of pleasure-bot?"

"What?" Starscream's optics blinked as he processed the comment. "Oh, Knock-Out, yes. He says Megatron is more focused on a war with the humans than anything else."

"The organics?" Both Thundercracker and Skywarp broke into a long laugh.

"They are resourceful, annoying, little vermin," Starscream face contorted from disgust. "If they survive long enough to get off their rock, they'll wind up causing more damage to the galaxy than we did."

"Then we rescue Slipstream, carpet bomb their planet into submission, and make for the planet the Autobots have recently colonized," Skywarp suggested with a glint of glee in his purple optics.

"No, forget the humans, they'll wipe themselves out eventually." Starscream looked up. "New colony?"

"While we were on the Ark, Slipstream cracked their database. They moved an iron planet from its inner orbit and have remade it into a New Cybertron," Skywarp added.

"I think it's a trap for Megatron," Thundercracker shrugged.

"Interesting," Starscream stroked the pointed end of his helm as he considered the possibilities. "And she is still with them?"

"Yes," Thundercracker replied. "We should free her."

"Of course, of course," Starscream was already spinning his extra processors into life. "How to play this?"

"And if it is a trap?" Thundercracker asked.

"Then we make sure we've liberated enough of our brothers from their subjugation by Soundwave's control," Starscream smirked. "Then we find that little planet and cleanse it of the Autobots and begin a new empire..."

Starscream looked down, optics widening. "What is that beeping?"

Thundercracker looked back from where he had been watching a signal enter the Terran system. It seemed like they weren't the only Decepticons following the Ark through space. "A friend, I hope."

"A friend?" Starscream wondered.

"A loyal one if the pay is better," Thundercracker reminded him. "Should I tell him to rendezvous here?"

"No," Starscream shook his head. He walked over towards the viewscreen. He networked his positioning system to the communications and sent a location. "The Autobot's nor the Decepticons would not notice him there. I, also, do not think he would like to see Lord Megatron."

"Why not, brother?" Skywarp wondered.

"Swindle thought his life and freedom from prison wasn't payment enough," Starscream smirked.

"Silly, Combaticon," Thundercracker chuckled.

"Brothers!" He added. "It seems things are turning our way."

"Move along," Arcee said, her hands transformed into her blasters as she walked next to Prowl who was holding his energon bow loosely. They followed Slipstream as the prodded her through the base to a room that could be used as a temporary brig. The seeker's hands and wings were wrapped in stasis cuffs. Arcee grimaced, wondering why they had never truly thought this through as a possibility. After all, for the fifteen minutes Starscream defected, what were they going to do with him? She could not believe they would have given him run of the base, nor a summary execution...

It just was not Prime's style. Besides, the birdbrain had too much intelligence to parcel out, and he would have been too smart to let them walk in his head and take it like they did with Bee and Megatron.

Slipstream, however-Arcee levelled her blasters at the bots back-was useless.

"My student," Prowl smirked. "I do not believe Optimus would allow such an action."

"Thinking of shooting me in the back, are you?" Slipstream cackled. "Why don't you and save us the trouble."

"Now do you understand?" Prowl asked Arcee.

"Shoot me in the back while I am unarmed and restrained," Slipstream teased, glancing back. "Prove to everyone that your side is so much better than mine. Prove that just because you were built to be a used by everyone that you can be hard too. After all, I did nothing to you, sister."

"Your big brother killed by partner," Arcee said.

"Who? Thundercracker?" Slipstream asked. "I'm sure he's killed more of you red faces than you've killed of us."

"No, Starscream," Arcee's eyes narrowed.

"Wing Commander got his hands covered in energon?" She laughed skeptically. "Never."

"He admitted it," Arcee said. "Boasted about it."

"Well, some slagheads need something to boast about," Slipstream shrugged.

"In there," Arcee said, pointing to an open, meter thick door. The room was a lead lined Faraday cage. She frowned, wondering if Slipstream would actually comply.

Prowl held their ground, gesturing with his bow.

"Slipstream," Optimus Prime finally stepped up behind them. "There will need to be decisions made, and many will need to come from you shortly. In the meantime, in this fragile of moments, you will be kept in here, in stasis."

"If this a sentence?" Slipstream asked.

"You have committed many crimes against your fellow Cybetronians. However, this will only be as difficult as you make it."

Slipstream cackled on more time, "What choice do I have? Either I sit and be good, or your smally, doxy kill-bot will finish me off."

"Doxy?" Arcee asked darkly. Her blasters quivered to unleash a volley.

"Slipstream," Prowl's voice cracked in the chamber. Her head snapped to his. "You have a chance here. There's no need to fight over who controls Cybertron anymore. It is your decision if you will be a part of the solution, or part of what we leave behind."

Arcee watched Slipstream look down. Was it shame? Was she considering it? Or was she just plotting? Arcee could not fathom one of the 'Cons could actually do more than feign at changing sides.

Jack asked her once why she fought as a Autobot. She'd given him all the standard answers, ever one that she knew was the correct answer, the ones she knew Prime would want to hear. Deep down, she searched her spark. Why? Why kill Decepticons for a cause? She only ever came to one conclusion, because the 'Cons kept killing the ones she loved.

Could it be the same reason why Slipstream wore purple? Because the Autobots were shooting at the ones she loved? Though, who could ever love a Seeker nightmare like Wing Commander Starscream?

Slipstream chuckled again, as if she had come to decision. She stepped inside the room without further complaint. Arcee frowned, suddenly very worried. Slipstream might be restrained, but she was still operational, and any of Starscream's top fliers had equally dangerous minds.

"Optimus Prime, you should ask yourself, why does she smell like an organic?" Slipstream asked. What had she guessed? What did she know?

"Slipstream," Optimus addressed her. "Someone will return shortly with a ration of energon and lubricants."

Slowly, the door closed by its own power. The locks clicked into place. Prime tapped the controller for the cuffs he was holding as the stasis field disabled all but Slipstream's spark chamber and processors. She would have time to consider the future. Arcee watched Slipstream drop through the transparent aluminum window in the door.

"Arcee," Prime said. She snapped to attention. He looked down into her face. "We can all be more than sum of our parts, or pasts."

"Yes." She glanced at Prowl before looking back at Prime. "About that, may we speak?"

"Of course, Arcee," Prime replied.

"In.." Her vocalizer faltered as she decided to commit herself to a new future. "In private, if we can."

"Certainly, Arcee," He held an arm out for her to lead the way. "Should Master Prowl sit in?"

"If you require it, my student," Prowl gave her the slightest of bows.

Arcee looked at Prowl, wondering if it would be for the best. She wasn't sure how Optimus would react. She had justified this in all sorts of ways, but he might look at just the obvious ones. Jack was human, he was also still a boy. She was an autonomous robotic life form from another planet fighting a secret war against other autonomous robots, and by human standards, vastly older than even his mother. She's something practically from science fiction!

"Sure," Arcee shook her head. Finally, her blasters tucked themselves away she could have use of her hands. "We should make this quick. Bulk's wanting to do karaoke again this year."

"Karaoke?" Prowl asked.

"A human past time," Optimus replied. "Involving mimicry for comic affect. An unpleasant experience for the audiials."

"Especially when Bulkhead tries it," Arcee shook her head, resigned to her fate.

Having a base inside of a mountain meant that with some careful planning, and digger-bots, they could expand. It also meant that there was room for each of the Autobots to have rooms of their own. With time, even the new arrivals could have space within the old bomb shelter. It was a meager room, but it contained the few belongings Orion Pax had kept on his long journey through the cosmos. He dimmed the window that looked out into the common area. He looked at the empty husk that held the Matrix of Leadership, touching it lightly before turning to face one of his most loyal soldiers.

He was certain she would ask her leave. He had been waiting for Arcee to return to her wandering ways, more so now that the he was merely another bot like them all. There had also been little for them all to do with Decepticon activity focused on Silas and Mech. With no fighting, there was nothing to drive Arcee further. Revenge had fueled her far longer than it did most 'bots. It had taken her to depths that even the most dogmatic of Autobots and Decpticons would not go. If the Decepticons had not forced her to his side in the early days, he was certain that she could have easily been one of Megatron's most prickly of followers.

The only true code Arcee seemed to follow was the one impressed upon her by the other bot to join them, Master Prowl, a master of their martial arts. Their secret order on Cybertron once taught that they could transcend their programming and enact "processor over matter." Orion and Jazz had heard their whisperings as well as Megatron's. They flocked to the banner of reform early on, but refused to destroy the very fabric of their society for a group of virus addled bots.

Optimus allowed the silence to settle. The welcomes and the party could go on a little longer without them. Even before, he had never been one for celebrations. He had always found them to be the most awkward affairs.

"Arce, you once said that 'Prime's don't party," He looked down. "Upon reflection of the memories I have of the Matrix, The Thirteen did 'party' much. It is Orion Pax that finds gatherings difficult."

"Uhmm, sure," She looked at Prowl.

"Megatronus and his ilk did enjoy a certain level of bacchanalia," Prowl agreed. "One of the many things he over promised, I fear."

"What did you have to say?" Optimus asked finally, pushing back the memories of old Cybertron.

"I..." She looked down. "I used the holo-emiters and ordered Bumblebee to do the same in the field."

"I figured as much," Optimus said. "But that admission does not account for your hesitation, nor is it your worst disobedience under my command."

Arcee frowned as her optics studied the ground. "It isn't just that."

"Very well, I will want a full report in how they behaved from both you and Bumblebee. Testing them on the spur of the moment was best. You have done well with his training."

"Emitters?" Prowl asked.

"Yes," Arcee's eyes dimmed as hers flew off her body and came to life. Her human form looked up at the looming bots. Her brow furrowed as her human face frowned at them both.

"A creation of Wheeljack's," Optimus said.

"Interesting," Prowl bent to look at Arcee more closely. "Semi-solid, no less, able to manipulate matter. The mad-bot out did himself with these."

"And I am sure you'd like one," Arcee asked.

"If the Ark cannot be repaired, one should take t time to explore the environment, and the culture that was shaped by it," Prowl smirked.

"Yes," Arcee's hologram looked up and between them both. She glanced over at her seemingly lifeless body.

"You've made modifications to your Sadie program?" Prime asked.

"It seemed the most efficient thing to do," She shrugged. "It was already a familiar template. Then after trawling the Internet, I was able to mold a composite that fit."

"As if crafting your spark's reflection into human form?" Prowl speculated.

"Bumblebee and Bulkhead have been working on the same thing," She glanced at Optimus. "We've been attempting the same for both you and Ratchet."

"How much of your core personality is in the thing?" Prowl asked.

"The emitters handle and contain a lot," She glanced at Arcee again. "I haven't gone too far from my spark to risk not being able to quickly download myself back into it."

"So this is only a portion of you?" Prowl bent down to look at her more closely before rishing again to face Arcee's darkened and emotionless optics.

"Core program, core personality, core memories," She reported. "Just copies."

"We should still take care, however," Optimus said. "Imagine if Megatron were to get one of these, or Knockout?"

"Swindle," Prowl suggested with a smirk.

"Swindle," Optimus admitted in agreement, looking to Prowl. "I will want a report on the others movements as well."

"I will speak with Kup and Hot Rod," Prowl added. "They traveled more widely in recent cycles. I have been too preoccupied with reopening an academy for new sparklings to travel more than this trip, Optimus."

"Then my apologies," Optimus gave him a slight bow. He turned back to Arcee. "But we should get back to the heart of Arcee's concern. Arcee?"

Sadie visibly swallowed. "I want to use this form to continue guarding Jack when he goes to college."

Optimus nodded slowly and frowned. "I had not considered that eventuality."

"He'll be more vulnerable on his own." Her human eyes pleaded. "And with this it might be even easier. I could blend in. I could even be a student."

"He is a truly exceptional human," Optimus suggested. "He might do with some time on his own, to grow into the being he should have been without our interference."

"I don't think its possible now," Arcee added.

"Besides, I...," She glanced at Prowl. Optimus could see the struggle. The look in her optics when she was with him was hard to miss.

"He is young and a member of a fickle race," Optimus reminded her.

"By our standards, am I not much older." Arcee reminded him. "In the old way, in the castes, Bumblebee and I would be considered barely out of the Well of the All Sparks. We would not have achieved much yet in our assigned duties."

She looked up at him. "Besides, Jack isn't fickle."

Optimus folded his arms and looked down. She almost seemed comfortable in that skin of nanites. She seemed more comfortable standing before him as a human than she ever does as a bot. Given her nature, it could lead to trouble, but perhaps this was for the best? Such weariness in one so young. Orion Pax could understand it.

"Cybertronians have been known to be involved with organics of other species at one time or another," Prowl reminded him. "They do outnumber our race."

"Have you discussed this with him?" Optimus asked.

"Earlier, this morning. It was what we were doing before the crash," She admitted.

"Very well," Optimus decided. "Eyes and ears on this world will help us. We can only glean so much from their media."

He looked down into Sadie's eyes, "And I would like to see what suggests you have for my own form."

"Considering going into the field?" Arcee asked.

He glanced at Prowl and smirked. "I was once, derisively known as being the Librarian. I believe I would like to see the inside of a human one. Even the one in Jasper."

_And perhaps time away from the full breadth of memories would do some good_, He wondered.

"You will not be leaving Earth with Elita?" Prowl asked

"I have a responsibility to stop Megatron."

"I wonder if he continues because you live?" Prowl asked. "And if you just stopped, he will as well."

"And if I leave, would he and his followers follow to your new home, your new sparklings?" The question hung in the air as Opitmus waited for a response from Master Prowl. He knew it was the truth. Optimus Prime and Megatron were bound together by their battle through time. There would be no simple ending it. Megatron had defied the will of Unicron for the right to kill Optimus Prime on his own terms. Then, when the opportunity presented itself, he balked because the chase was what they both needed and craved. Who cared what they destroyed?

"The humans," Prime continued, "have a story about a leader who was charged with leading his people to a promised land by their deity. The trek went on for cycles, far longer than it should have. In the end, only the children and the leader remained to enter their promised land when the time finally came."

Optimus looked up, memories of Cycbertron filling his head, "Because of the wickedness enacted by the leader, even he was not allowed to enter this promised land. He was charged to die in the wilderness."

"Master Prowl," Their leader said. "If we are to survive, Megatron and I must never enter the Promised Land. Our arrogance and defiance has caused too much destruction. We are too much from the old order, my friend."

"Earth will be my home until I rust."

"Very well," Prowl frowned and touched Optimus's shoulder. "But Primus did not charge you with this task, and there is still too much needing to be done. But I cannot argue with a made up processor."

The projection ended as Arcee's optics came back to life.

"And it will be mine too," Arcee decided. As much as she loved Jack, she also would never leave Optimus for a world filled with Cybertronians who would still look at her like she was the accidental sparkling of a ditzy whore-bot who opened her spark chamber up at the wrong possible moment.

"You may regret that decision," Optimus remidned her.

"But your war was so I could make that decision, Optimus," She reminded him in turn. "I might hate 'Cons, but its time to move on from it."


	3. Chapter 3

**Transformers Prime: New Beginnings Part 3**

**Seduction**

It was noisy in the Autobot base. Even though the banner said "Happy Birthday, Jack!" the party had became something completely different when Ratchet chuckled and started in with the insults and jokes with Ironhide and Kup. It had surprised Jack at first. Usually, Ratchet could barely manage a chuckle, but among old friends, he seemed to come alive. There was a level of camaraderie in the base that the humans had never seen before. June had tried to light the candles on the cake three times, but Jack kept insisting that they wait for Arcee and Optimus to return from dealing with their new prisoner. He also, did not ask what that smell was from whatever Kup was smoking. He figured that on his birthday, if he didn't know, it wouldn't kill him.

Something like cards had already been dealt when they erected a table large enough to accommodate the large bots. Jack was starting to get a glimpse of what a Saturday night really could be like on Cybertron behind closed doors.

Naturally, Raf had gravitated towards them, his eyes alight with whatever it was they were doing. Normally, Miko would be on Bulk's shoulder, but she was hovering, leaning in close. Jack did not know how to get her off. So instead, he sat, watching and listening to the party as it evolved around him. The stories were already coming out about this battle, and that battle. It sounded like the Wreckers had a lot of near misses back in the day. They mentioned Wheeljack, another bot named Springer. Then they toasted Cliffjumper's memory and all their other fallen comrades.

Cups full of a mysterious oil that had been smuggled on the Ark on Kup and Hot Rod's smaller ship were being shared out whenever Elita-One was not looking. Jack guessed they were secretly working their way through a barrel of Cybertronian moonshine. It was probably just another thing he didn't need to know about.

He could use a drink, he thought, glancing at Fowler and his mother fussing over the human food and drink. Every few minutes, Bill was off to the computer to check on the situation with his own men at the crash site. Strangely, Jack would rather have been sweating under the sun with Bumblebee and HotRod than sit with Miko and her-

Her hand kept brushing his own. She was constantly wanting to be close to him. He was not sure if he should say something, or find a way to excuse himself. Of course, he was still unhappy with how Arcee had taken off with that other bike-bot without bothering to say as much as a good-bye. He was already starting to wonder if any hopes of more were just a childish dream. After all, holograms or not, how in the hell was this supposed to work? How was any relationship when they usually ended in failure?

And how could he compete with someone Arcee had a history with? Would she even give him a chance? He looked over at Miko, forcing a smile. He tried to focus on her instead, but his mind kept drifting back to being slighted. She was his best friend. Something just did not feel right...

"Where are they going?" Elita asked, looking at both he and Miko when Arcee and Prowl followed Optimus into another part of the base without an explanation.

"I'm not sure," Jack frowned, finally coming to from his thoughts. It did not look good. She was probably asking to leave with the new Autobots. "Maybe something happened?"

"Arcee can be pretty rash, but I didn't hear blaster fire," Miko suggested.

"His office, or room, or space is down that hall," Jack said. "He doesn't take anyone in there unless its important."

"He's a very private bot," Miko added.

"How long as Optimus kept that girl around him?" Elita looked down imposingly on them both.

"I'm not really sure," Jack frowned. "Arcee's made it seem like since the Nineties."

"Really?" Miko asked. "That long?"

"She mentions the X-Files sometimes," He shrugged. When he told his mother about Arcee being his science fiction club, he wasn't entirely joking. He never imagined how much an alien would gobble it up. "But I think she's just been watching it late at night on cable."

"I don't think you need to be jealous of Arcee." Miko said.

"Jealous?" Elita shook her head as if the emotion were beneath her.

"Hell with this," Miko smirked and leaned into Jack.

"What?" He asked, ignoring Elita now that it was clear she was staring at the door more than recognizing that they were there.

"Want to see the room I picked out?" She whispered into his ear.

"What?" He startled, eyes widening.

"Its finished," Miko smiled taking his hand before he could object. "C'mon."

"She's hunting for a world of trouble," Fowler said to June as they watched Miko lead him off.

"Oh?" June asked, frowning. She'd always hoped...

"He's not buying what she's sellin'."

She wrapped her arms around him. The day was certainly not turning out how she hoped. "How do you know, dear?"

"We talk." He winked at her before giving her a kiss.

They both heard a groan and looked over at Elita-One. She was watching them, even as she ignored the other bots pretend to be new recruits. June was still unsure how expressions would play out on the Autobot's faces. She was certain Elita was not elated. She also did not have the same grim look she'd seen enough in Optimus and Arcee many times before.

"Can I help you?" June asked.

Elita turned her head rather than answer. Nothing was going to plan.

OoOoOoOoO

"You sent drones to meet it?" Knock-Out asked Soundwave as he met him on the bridge of the Nemesis. He watched the main viewer with the silent 'Con as they watched Laserbeak's camera observe the humans as they contained the crash site. "Without the big man's orders?"

He looked at Soundwave slyly. "When did you start thinking for yourself?"

Soundwave's face-screen turned to Knock-Out. Its emptiness stared back at him. He could feel their spy's trepidation. He could also sympathize with the apparent confusion. Soundwave's usual annoyance towards his needling was missing. Something had changed in their leader, and it was deeply affecting Soundwave. It was something that had changed in recent cycles. It was if the fight was dying out in the old killing machine, and he only wanted to indulge himself in the pleasures of a creature like Airachnid.

Not that Knock-Out would begrudge him such activities. Personal fulfillment was just the sort of thing that occupied his many cycles even since Cybertron.

"Father is still with mother then?" Knock-Out quipped as he went back to the viewscreen. He could make out the golden bug standing guard with... Was that really Hot Rod? Things had begun to get interesting. His mouth quirked remember the last time there'd been a decent road race among Cybertronian heavy metal. It was fast and dirty. Blur may have won, but he was like blue lightning on the road, pristine and perfect in his moves. Drivers like Hot Rod drove like they had something to prove, which made them sloppy, and so much fun to watch through the rear-view mirror. And if there was anything Knock-Out liked to do, it was make a bot look at the back of his chasis...

He shook his head out of the replay, realizing he was being watched. He grimaced slightly. What was the point of all their fighting if the best parts of being Cybertronian were now lost to them? What a slagging waste. Of course, if everything really was as great as they looked in the mirror, why leave it behind at all?

_Scrap it_, he thought. He still had to deal with Starscream's message. He also, had to get out on the road before he turned to spiking his motor oil. Which meant, getting past their annoying spy.

He glanced back at Soundwave as the silent 'Con slumped. The poor bot looked lonely. There'd been too many changes, and Megatron had a new favorite playmate.

Even half a vorn before, an Autobot vessel in the system would have meant no less than Megatron mounting an operation to take it and kill any survivors. His lack of caring was nearly disturbing.

He clasped his hands together, "Well, I'm out for a drive. Signal me if dear leader needs to be put back together again when he's done letting her abuse his spark."

He started towards the controls for the bridge before Soundwave stopped his hand. He looked up to the former gladiator's spindly, but sturdy arm as it pushed him away. Knock-Out had even repaired that arm for Soundwave after a particularly nasty bout in the ring.

Once again, he had to wonder just how had he gotten along in Megatron's cadre before the war. He was more of a flat tire than the librarian must have been. Unless...Knock-Out gave Soundwave a knowing grin. He does do quite a bit of watching. But just what was he watching? On the Nemesis, he could say that Soundwave was the only one truly devoted to Megatron, but how far could that really go? Knock-Out, however, knew he needed to go.

"Soundwave, I'm not needed right now." His hand went reassuringly to the spot on Soundwave's upper arm where he'd welded it back together. "We should continue our energon hunt! Never know when someone might run through our supply. Besides," He turned Soundwave back to the screen. "I've been through that little town before. I'll keep my antenna up." He reached down to begin manipulating the controls for the bridge. This time Soundwave did nothing but turn back to the view of the crash site.

"When I come back, we'll put your mini-cons down for a tune-up." He gave him a slight wink before turning to the gate. Soundwave stood a little straighter, seemingly happier. With a running start, Knock-Out leaped into the portal, transforming to hit the road with his engine running at full speed. He just hoped Soundwave did not bother to notice his destination was over a thousand kliks away.

Soon, he would just be one more speed demon to appear on Interstate 90 cruising to Yellowstone. With luck, there would be a few other high performance vehicles to toy with to pass the time. Pity none were properly sentient. Oogling another machine that was little more than a simpleton always made him feel just a bit dirty.

Of course, Hot Rod was on Earth...Inwardly, he smiled. Violating the bot's paint job would certainly become his mission number one... He cranked the music, the bass starting to thud from his speakers. It was human club music, but it wasn't like there would be anything new coming from the Cybertronian scene. A little British pop always put him just the right mood for racing. He let his speedometer reach for the red. "Oh, Hot Rod," he purred along with his engine.

The vision distracted him enough that he began to ignore his mirrors, missing the gate open up again. A purple sport's car came streaking out with two mini-bots in the driver's seat.

"Why do we have to follow this scrap-head around?"

"'Cause the boss said so," The black one replied. Their metallic forms shifted to look more human. Rumble brushed his brown hands against his black suit before taking the wheel. He smacked the drone's wheel with a hard pulse when it started to resist his control. "Because if Knock-Out is up to something, Soundwave could get in good with Lord Megatron again."

"I don't know, boss doesn't have those sweet parts she's got," Frenzy replied, wearing purple. His identical black hand adjusted his sunglasses. His yellow optics looked at his brother. "And its lonely at the top."

"So we hear," Rumble laughed before pushing the accelerator. They were falling behind. He pulled a radium cigarette from a cigarette case and offered one to his brother. It was time to get a beta buzz going to pass the time.

"What the slag?" Frenzy yelped. Suddenly, red and blue lights appeared in their mirror. "Better pull over and play this straight. We gotta stay off the radar."

"Yeah, Boss'll recycle us."

"We'll blame it on Steve," Frenzy shrugged. "Still, why push it when they're so easy to fool?" His sensors were already taking over the cop car's computer systems to enter two fake identities with clean driving records.

"Why didn't the cop pull over Knock-Out?" Rumble wondered.

"His holo is white," Frenzy looked at his fake skin.

"That's racists," Rumble frowned. That kind of bigotry to mini-cons Megatron had promised to bring an end to on their world, after all. "They all look alike anyway."

"Exactly, Rumble," Frenzy replied. "Why don't the fleshbags see it that way?"

OoOoOoOoO

"C'mon,. Jack," Miko pulled him along some of the smaller hallways of the base closer to the old, human sized quarters. They were abandoned when the Army pulled out of the facility years before during a round of base closings.

"What's the rush?" Jack wondered. He still held onto her hand. He knew he should have let it go the moment she had taken it, but it felt good in his. It was warm and the right kind of soft. It was also familiar. Holding hands, being close to her... He grimaced. He knew he should like her. Everything about he and Miko made so much sense that there was no reason he shouldn't be moaning about leaving her for college in a few weeks. But...

But. It all kept coming down the the "but." But Miko never really set his soul on fire the way his damned motorcycle-partner did. He should have known the moment she'd carried him off, his heart would pump to the rhythm of her engines. She excited him. She made him feel alive. No matter how much she tried, there was nothing about Arcee that was a safe bet. And they always made it out of each scrape together.

Miko. He always had to go rush after her. He was always lead into a bad situation time and time again. It wasn't just circumstances, it was the crazy choices she kept making. It just messed him up even more that he kept following. He kept trying to keep her from rushing headlong into danger. He always had to be responsible. Was she really excited to show him her interior design concepts, or was she leading him into another level of bullshit?

Before he knew it, they had stopped in front of her door. She stood in front of it. He stood next to her. It was a plain door that looked like it lead into an apartment made of drywall that was carved into a mountain. The ventilation ducts were still exposed above them along with the sterile, white lighting from the strips of electric lighting.

Miko was practically a night dweller. The dark and the pale lighting wouldn't bother her. She once told him that when she was in Japan, she spent almost an entire summer without seeing sunlight. He was surprised she didn't have a neon and ultraviolet light hanging outside her door. Even if she had consciously moved to sunny Jasper, Nevada, she still preferred the cool dark of the nighttime desert and the artificial lighting of headlights.

"How..." Jack asked, trying to deflect from the growing worry he was developing in the pit of his stomach. "How do you get bars down here?"

"Raf and I got a couple thingies to route it through the Internet connection," She shrugged, finally opening the door. "But I think he said it makes our calls go through a server in Dubai, or somewhere."

"Right," Jack agreed. _This is it_.

There was something distinctly adult and lonely when he watched Miko do something so simple as open a door. Her life in Tokyo always seemed very solitary because her parents worked constantly. Her host parents treated her more like a renter, rather than a temporary daughter because she refused to conform and blend in.

Unlocking a door to an empty house seemed like something she'd done a lot. Her hand finally let go of his when she flicked on the lights. It was the soft, warm lighting of incandescent bulbs. It looked like she had kept a lot of the original furniture and augmented it with whatever she found. There was a futon Jack thought he recognized from a thrift store in Jasper. Her bed was simple and dishevelled already. There were t-shirts and underwear all over the floor.

"It's great," Jack said, turning to look at the walls. Posters of her favorite obscure bands from her constantly shifting and eclectic musical tastes were all over, intermingled with sketches and pictures she had done of them and the bots. Disturbingly, he even saw a caricature of Megatron's helm with the red eyes prominently staring back at the viewer. It looked like a propaganda poster, or graffiti art from her Banksy phase. He turned away from it, and pushed away the many memories of when he had seen those same eyes stare back at him in challenge.

Instead, he walked over, and touched her familiar guitar and amp while it sat next to a keyboard that had a lot more keys and knobs than he was used to seeing. Of course, he was pretty sure she couldn't wheel in a baby grand into the base without someone saying something. She had to keep up her talents somehow. She was even starting to get better than just good at playing guitar. Band practice was only ever fun for her and Raf anyway.

His eyes scanned the floor again, following the trail of discarded clothes. He blinked, seeing a new shirt and panties on the floor. A bra soon joined them. He swallowed hard when he looked at the small pair of bare feet and ankles he saw.

"Jack," Miko's voice said quietly, almost shyly for her. "Happy birthday."

Her finger tips were on his chin, lifting it up so he could sweep her body. Through her fingers, it was like they were already connecting on a deeper level. Her eyes pleaded as they tried to meet him. He did everything he could to look away, but the stirring in between his legs forced him to keep catching snatches...

Her breasts, small and perky...familiar to the tactile memories encoded into his own hands. The brown tuft of hair between her legs. The slight curves of pale skin of her thighs and stomach as they lead back up to her face. He could see her teeth as she bit her lip, uncertain herself.

"I wanted to give you a gift," She said. Naked, stripped away from her usually loud clothes, opinions, bravado, he saw her. Just as he'd seen her before, but this time... "All the way, Jack."

"Uhmm," He'd promised Arcee. Even if she'd already run off with another bot. He'd promised Arcee. Didn't Miko already know it? Hadn't she seen it? Hadn't they talked about it only a few hours before?

_I should go_, he told himself. _I should get out of here before someone gets hurt._

"Miko, I-" He started to say before her lips were pressed against his. It was involuntary. His hormones met hers. His emotions met hers as their electrified connection coiled and uncoiled around each other as he relaxed and kissed her back. All sense faded away as something deep down finally came up.

He wrapped her arms around her body, his hands holding onto her back. He could feel her fingers working at the hem of his clothes. His hoodie was already cast aside. Suddenly, Jack Darby stopped holding back.

He refused to be subtle or awkward. He was only taking what was offered, and his fingers we rough with it. He stopped for breath when she was touching his chest. He looked into MIko's usually large eyes. She smiled back at him, mischief played in her heavy-lidded desire. She was no longer the girl that was his best friend, but the woman that wanted him. He smiled slightly and realized just how much he wanted her back-

But-The but came back. His desire cooled from the simmer than threatened to boil over to back to the tepidness that he usually lived his life. But she was Miko. She was his friend. Arcee or not, the next level would seriously screw things up.

But no. The "But" finally answered itself in his mind. He needed her to be his friend more than he wanted to take the sexy Japanese girl to her bed. He leaned his head into hers.

"No, I can't. Miko, I just can't." He took her hand. "We've got a lot changing right now. We shouldn't change this."

"Jack," She nearly whined, pulling away. She sat down on her bed, grabbing clothes to cover herself up. She didn't even put them on. She just laid them across her, holding them up to hide her body from him.

"I love you," He reached next to her where his shirt landed. "But its not like that... Not like this."

It stretched over him, covering the lean, muscular, scarred body life in the final stages of the Cybertronian civil war had given him. "Besides, I just shouldn't."

"Why?" Miko frowned. "If you're just waiting around for Sierra..."

"No," He looked down towards her. "I gave up on that months ago. It was stupid. I'm the kind of guy who likes the idea of being with a girl like her, but wouldn't actually like it. We both know it. I like danger too much."

"Yeah," She agreed. He could see her eyes welling up.

"Miko, I'm sorry," He frowned. "It's...It really is Arcee."

"What?" Her head snapped up to face his. Her face twisted. She sounded angry. "Really, Jack...Arcee?"

"This shouldn't be a surprise," He said.

"It..." Miko sighed, deflating. "No, I guess its not. Nothing is really normal, is it?"

"No," Jack agreed. "Arcee and I talked about it. She feels the same." He really was not sure how to put it. He realized Miko might as well be the first to find out, however.

"But that other bot?" She wondered. "Prowl."

"I know," He frowned. "Everything could have changed, I don't know. I just..."

"He's of her own kind," Miko said. She looked up at him questioningly. "Who wouldn't want that? Someone that's like them?"

His mouth tightened, understanding her meaning. In that moment, he realized there were only two options and no middle ground. Either sleep with Miko or…"I'm going to go back to the party."

"Jack, please, not yet," She asked. "Would you just...I didn't want more, just this afternoon."

"I know, Miko," He refused to move closer to her and give in. He knew if he touched her again they would spiral out of control and then anything he said or did would have no meaning. "But I...I just shouldn't."

"Or what?" Miko's eyes shot daggers at him. "Your motorcycle would be jealous?"

He opened his mouth to say something. "Please, don't do this."

"Whatever." She stood up and walked the several steps past him to the door. She opened it for him. "Just leave me alone. You don't want me, then leave me alone."

"Fine," Jack buried his face briefly in his hands to gather his composure before looking up at the ceiling. He blinked away the pain. Miko was his friend. Turning her down was the right thing. Deep down, he could feel it. He just had to have faith they could repair the friendship.

"Jack, I'm waiting," Miko said.

"I'm leaving," He said, finally walking out. Her door slammed in his face. _I've just got to have faith_ _that not having sex with her was the right thing to do. _He wanted to laugh. Since when did that become a choice he had to make?

And very suddenly, he had a sick feeling in his stomach that telling her no completely messed everything up. But what was he supposed to do loving her really did not extend to that far? It was stupid to think of it in those terms, he finally understood. He felt it, but they never should have defined it. The definition changed it, made it into something it really should not have been. It put things on the table that just would not work. He just could not imagine having a stable relationship with her.

He started down the hallway. It was his birthday, and his party was supposed to be well underway. Why did he want to go off by himself and brood?

"Jack?" A voice called out. He blinked, seeing the slight glow. It was Arcee wearing the Sadie holoform. He was still in the part of the base that the bots usually could not fit.

"Arcee?" He called out. "We've been looking for you and Miko. June's getting anxious."

"Right," He glanced back down the hall.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

His mouth opened to say something, but he did not know what to really say. What was there to really tell Arcee that would not make Miko look bad? Instead, he smiled, pushing away the hurt of probably losing his friendship with Miko.

He looked at Arcee. The holographic hair was pulled into a pony-tail, and she'd definitely toned down the killer, vixen look to something that could pass for being closer to his age. He had to admit he liked it. Even if it was all still new, he was finding it hard to separate both forms. They were Transformers, this was just a new form for them to transform into, right?

She moved close to him, hugging him suddenly. He flushed. Why was he so willing to risk this friendship and not his friendship with Miko? _Because you can't have both, Jack_. He reminded himself. He wasn't like his dad. He wasn't a complete piece of shit. Every time, he knew he would chose Arcee. He looped his arms behind her and kissed her, grinning. His forehead rested against Arcee's, marvelling again just how human she seemed.

"You decided you like me again?" He said, the bitterness he felt flowing down a drain to be replaced by something else entirely. His heart swelled with the wonder of complete acceptance of an emotion. He had never imagined just how reassuring an embrace could be.

"What is that supposed to mean?" She asked, pulling away slightly to look him in the eye.

"Well, the way you raced off with Prowl, I..." He frowned. "But its fine. You've got a history."

"With Master Prowl?" She laughed. "He was my-" He could see her grasping for the word, no doubt searching an online thesaurus. "He was my sensei or drill sergeant. He taught me everything I know. He and his partner."

"Partner?" Jack wondered. His heart nearly skipped a beat. _All of this could actually work._

"Jazz," She ruffled his hair before looking down. "Prowl already had me pegged for loving you, Jack."

"Oh," He blinked before looking into her eyes. He brushed her hair out of her eye. He really could not believe it. "Right."

"And I've told Optimus," She said as his eyes widened. "He agrees with my assessment. We should endeavour to learn more about your culture that doesn't come from the Internet or TV."

"Not much about it that doesn't come from either," Jack commented.

She shrugged, "Maybe not, but we're going to be here a long time. This is home."

"Really?" Jack was surprised to hear Arcee say it. He hugged her again tightly. He realized he wanted to kiss her again, and he did. Everything that he wanted desperately to put into his kiss with Miko came out with ease with Arcee.

"You haven't told mom, yet. Have you?" He asked.

"And what, take that honor away from you?" She said. "Never."

"Yeah," He sighed, glad they agreed on that much. "I almost told Bill." He looked down. "I still might."

"He already knows," Arcee said. "Well, some of it, if not all the reasons. Optimus asked him to rig it up so I can be enrolled in UNLV in a few weeks as a transfer student or a foreign student."

Jack laughed, his arm around her. "Sure, just one from really far away. The daughter of an avatar for the god of a planet, no less."

"That was how Agent Fowler took it too," She said, leaning her head on his shoulder. She reached down to take his hand. They had a few more hallways to sneak through, and time to work through it. If she was going to become a nineteen year old human girl, and in love, she might as well enjoy it. They went around another corner before she pushed him against the wall and kissed him again.

"Uhh, Arcee?" She heard Bulkhead's voice coming down the corridor. "Jack?" She looked down to see a mini-con version of Bulk watching with his mouth agape. "Uhh, sorry. But uhmm, June was threatening to go hunt him down, and I knew Miko was up to something. But uhmm... right."

Both Jack and Arcee reddened and looked at each other. Jack just wanted to laugh. He couldn't believe any of it, but he was willing to just let it all happen, for once.

"Yeah, so, I'll pretend I saw nothing and just say you're right behind me," Bulkhead said.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "Just give us a minute, okay?"

"Sure," Bulkhead nodded before the holo flickered away and flew off at the highest rate of speed possible.

"So you and Bumblebee got them working, but Bulkhead?" Jack wondered.

"He's too picky," She shrugged. "He's an artist, sometimes."

Jack sighed, putting his arm around her with his hand lingering in the small of her back. "I'd say the hell with it if it wasn't for the new bots here."

"I know, Ironhide and Kup are old fashioned," Arcee agreed. "I don't know Elita."

"I..." Jack shrugged. "I think she thinks you've got something going on with Optimus."

Arcee laughed again. "Optimus is... He is like my Creator."

"Creator?" He wondered.

"Cybertronian equivalent of a father," She said. "Reproduction is complicated. We can leave it for later."

"Good." He was just glad there would be a later. He was suddenly glad for a lot of things.

They drew closer to the the party, finally pulling away. Eventually, the hologram faded and Arcee's Cybetronian body came to life. The projector slipped its way into his pocket when Arcee gave him a smirk from across the room.

"Bitch," Miko whispered to herself from down the other end of the hall. She'd peaked her head out of her room when she heard the voices. Jack never noticed, nor was he even paying attention to her following behind them and staring. If there had been one thing she'd learned while being around the bots, it was how to sneak around and hide.

OoOoOoOoO

Thundercracker tracked his way through the Moon base. It had proven to be much larger than his initial scans anticipated. It seemed like in such a place, his brother was up to his old tricks again. War and its inevitable requirements always meant that their Wing Commander was consistently forced to give up his original ambition as a scientist. It was quite an extensive laboratory and fabrication facility. All the store rooms were filled with spare parts and empty spark chambers, Thundercracker wondered if Starscream simply planned to build an army of simple drones to combat Megatron's.

"Starscream," He heard in a hushed whisper in a woman's voice. A human woman's voice, Thundercracker realized with surprise. "Again, my Star," She said again.

Starscream's back was turned to Thundercracker, and the woman could not be found. He hesitated, unsure how to proceed. It was clear there was something about to be interrupted. He had, however, never envisioned his brother to take a lover of any kind, let alone a backward savage, a bag of flesh. Then again, they'd always wondered if there was a cog loose in Starscream's nosecone.

"Uhm, brother," Thundercracker said. "Swindle will be landing shortly."

"Brother?" The woman asked with surprise. She peaked out from behind his wing. "Who is this, Star?"

"Uh, yes," Starscream turned to face the other seeker. A smile of embarrassment shone in his optics. "This is Doctor Adler. She is my assistant."

"Assistant," Thundercracker smirked himself, shaking his head. "Of course, brother. And here I thought the plan was to rust away."

"I was going to say something," Starscream shrugged.

"Who is this, Starscream?" Dr. Adler asked again as she straightened her lab coat to cover more of her brown flesh. Still, more of it peaked out than she probably realized, Thundercracker thought. A quick search of human accents proved her to be English of some kind. Whatever that meant, he decided to leave the in depth study for some time, such as when he gave a frag.

"I am the Wing Commander's second, Thundercracker," He replied, giving her a courtly bow.

"My brother and trine mate," Starscream added. "The other one would be Skywarp. Each of us are known for our unique abilities."

The room tingled with electricity as Starscream's exposed spark chamber closed shut. It interacted with the charged particles that were developing in the room. Suddenly, Skywarp popped into existence. His optics wide at the site of the human female.

Thundercracker shook his head again, even as the doctor looked over Skywarp, surprised at the teleportation. He clasped a hand on his inky brother. "Starscream, where did it come from?"

"I should ask the same of you," Dr. Adler said. Her eyes betrayed just how greedy she was for explanations.

"Ah," Starscream looked at Adler. "Ah, Alice-Doctor Adler discovered my first hiding spot." He looked at her and smiled with amusement. Thundercracker hadn't seen this side of Starscream in nearly mega-vorns. "She was working on an intriguing concept the humans theorize as possible."

"Which is?" Thundercracker always hated his his brother drew things out unnecessarily.

"The Singularity," Starscream smirked. "Transference of an organic brain into a computer."

"Namely, the quantum computers you use inside your spark chambers," She folded her arms, pointing at Thundercracker.

"Quantum computers?" Thundercracker asked.

"Advanced species," Adler snorted, moving to stand closer to Starscream. She was tall for a human female, coming up to nearly his thigh.

"Never mind the details," Starcream brushed his brother's question away. "But yes, our sparks."

"That is..." Thundercracker was not really sure. It sounded heretical, but how could it be? It did come down to the nature of whatever Cybertronians were. He'd heard whispers that some people even believed that Cybertronians were the final stage of evolution for an organic species, and the Primes, Primus, and even Unicron were simply a myth for a war among organics who had become living computers. Ultimately, he just didn't care. He could leave Starscream to his games, just as long as it served their goals.

"So you wish to become like me, little human?" Thundercracker knelt to look Dr. Adler in the eye.

"Oh yes," She stared him back in his optics. "But it is not a matter of wish. just when."

Thundercracker laughed. He did have to admire her courage. It also explained all the extra parts. Starscream never did keep all of his missiles in one silo.

::And our plan?:: Thundercracker wondered into the comm, intending to leave out the human.

::We get Slipstream back,:: Starscream said. ::But we shall see about this colony. A Seeker empire will need to be built in many nests. One system is good as another. And assisting Unicron's children into their birthright will be a part of it.::

::I can hear you, you know,:: Adler turned to show her implants at the base of her skull. Data cillia mixed in with her hair.

"Of course," Thundercracker shook his head. "And you support Starscream's schemes?"

"It is just evolution," She smiled. "Perfectly natural, and I wind up with what I want in the end."

"Of course," Thundercracker frowned. There was something unsettling about organics, and this one in particular.

"Unicron's children?" Skywarp finally asked. He always did enjoy the myths.

"Another story, brothers," Starscream put his hands on both his brother's shoulders. "But we must fly to meet our good merchant."

He turned to look at the human, "I will return, Alice."

"Very well, Star," She said, watching him primly, her hands rested in her lap. The look in her eyes made Thundercracker not want to know more about what he had initially interrupted.

OoOoOoOoO

There was a shine of purple in his rear view, Knock-Out realized as he slowed to get a better look at his tail. It was certainly one of the drones. Megatron? He wondered. No, their Lord was up close and personal when it came to suspicions of treason. This had all the earmarks of Soundwave. He zeroed in on the passenger and the driver who were both talking each other animatedly. He could sense their tiny spark chambers.

::Starscream:: He broadcasted, now that he was increasingly closer to the meet up point.

::Knock-Out?:: The Wing Commander asked over the channels.

::It seems our spymaster isn't as depressed as we thought,:: Knock-Out returned a picture of the tail. ::Do you think you could have one of your brothers soften them up before I stop them to have a little chat?::

::Hmm,:: Starscream considered. ::What do you have in mind?::

::Just enough to put a pair of mini's back in their place.:: Knock-Out replied. ::Wouldn't do for them to get too uppity on such a mission, now would it?::

::Capture them, Knock-Out,:: Starscream laughed. ::Swindle might be in the market for small targets.::

::Certainly,:: He purred. ::I'll take them off road for a couple kliks. I would not want your brothers to leave a mark on this beautiful stretch of highway in front of me.::

::Who needs roads when you could have flight?:: Starscream lamented again.

::Because there's no point to whitewalls when you're always in the air,:: Knock-Out laughed before breaking and making a hard right onto gravel road. He raced ahead, giving himself just enough lead for Rumble and Frenzy to follow him into his little trap.

"What's he doing?" Frenzy asked as Rumble did his best to maintain pursuit without going off the road.

"I think we've been made," Rumble replied, holding tight to the steering wheel. The drone was having trouble keeping up on the dirt road.

They twisted and turned for a few more kliks before, "Wait, I know that sound." Frenzy's eyes widened to a panic as his disguise melted away.

"I do too, Rumble replied. "Thundercracker!" He yelled before they felt the blast from his sonic weapon. The car pitched, flipping them over.

"Slag'em, even if they are 'Cons," Frenzy said, jumping out of the wreck of the drone. Its simplified spark began leak energon. He ran in the opposite direction of Rumble, who was already transforming his arms. He glared at Knock-Out who loomed in front of them, already transformed with his energon prod ready.

"I promised Soundwave before leaving I would do a little body work on the both of you," He grinned menacingly. "You know, I miss the old day when I was just a sparkling and those of us high sparked would play 'Hunt the Mini.' How about we play now?"

Frenzy ran, looking for a good position. He'd have one shot before his brother's drums would start on the ground, or before Thundercracker unleashed another volley.

::Now, brother,:: He heard Rumble command. Frenzy opened his mouth and unleashed a torrent of sonic interferrence. It was the music of big bang static amplified by orders of magnitudes. Then ground began to shake.

Knocked-Out dropped to his knees, his hands covering his audials. There was another blast from above and both mini-cons finally went down.

"Thanks for the assist," Knock-Out said to Thundercracker who landed gently on two feet beside him. "Almost seems a waste to hand over such fine pests over to Swindle."

He jabbed Frenzy's neck with his energon prod. "Now, stay down." He hissed, his red optics glowing with anger.

"We should leave them," Thundercracker said. "Soundwave is linked to them. Even if we sever it, he'll come this way."

"You're right," Knock-Out agreed, giving the other one a sharp jab of his own. "Let them walk back. Will your Wing Commander mind?"

"Is he here?" Thundercracker asked.

"No, he's not," Knock-Out agreed. "He's never around when the shooting starts."

Thundercracker gave him an amused, knowing smile. "Glad we're in agreement. Now, how about we speed things up?"

"Oh?" Knock-Out wondered. _Now, here is a Decepticon who knows his business_, he thought, amused.

"Brother?" Skywarp popped into existence and stood next to Thundercracker.

"Someone needs a hand going to our meeting," Thundercracker said.

"Drop him in?" Skywarp asked, already beginning to fold space time around the three of them in a tight bubble.

"I think we can trust groundling," Thundercracker said.

"Very well, brother," Skywarp's abilities began to come to head. The space around shifted. It was completely unlike traveling by groundbridge, Knock-Out thought. One moment he was standing on a dirt road. Then suddenly, once the lights settled down, he was standing on bare, volcanic rock.

"Very interesting talent," Knock-Out gave the Seeker a slight bow of appreciation. He looked to the setting sun and shielded his optics with his hand. "Now, when will the man of the hour arrive?"

"Soon," Thundercracker sat down on a large rock, prepared to wait.

"I believe I see him," Knock-Out could see the faint building up as a ship began to enter the atmosphere. Swindle was still pretty far out, but in time... Perhaps, he might have a few new attachments for purchase. He wondered with annoyance. _Have I really sunk so low?_

_OoOoOoOoO_

June had finally stepped in, insisting a break in the game when Arcee and Jack returned. "We're blowing out candles and cutting this cake before anyone else can disappear," She pronounced to her son. "We're singing you Happy Birthday."

"Uh, sure," He glanced over at Arcee, beginning to feel subconscious about the whole thing. Did his mother know? He wondered. Had anyone figured it out? He wasn't worried about them all finding out. He only worried about their reaction, and what might happen to Arcee. Still, the lingering memory of the kisses, it was heady. He just wanted to be alone with her, but this damn party! "Light the candles so they can get on with it."

She laughed, ruffling his hair before going over to start.

"Uh, Jack?" Bulkhead asked quietly. leaning into him. "Where's Miko? Wouldn't she want to be here too?"

"I..." Jack frowned. "I really don't know. She wouldn't be too happy with me right now."

"Oh," Bulkhead looked down.

"She knows about..." He glanced at Arcee.

"Yeah, Bulkhead," Jack sighed. "I was honest. I had to be honest."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Bulkhead frowned. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

"And say what?" Jack grimaced.

"Right, I'm sorry," Bulkhead looked down.

"So what's up," Miko appeared. Jack didn't trust her smile. It was overly animated, but she was clearly not getting too close. In fact, if anything, she was purposefully standing apart, keeping her hands to herself. She'd also changed. She was even more covered up than she was normally. "I thought we were doing this birthday thing?"

"Yeah," He glanced at Bulkhead, worried she was up to something. "Mom's finally getting to light the candles."

"Right," She agreed, looking between them both. "Well, I'll be going now."

"Oh, okay," Jack swallowed hard as she walked away.

"See, she's fine," Bulkhead said.

"No," Jack replied. "She's going to find a way to make me pay."

"It was that bad?" Bulkhead realized.

"Even worse," Jack shook his head. He'd turned down a scornful woman, in order to keep his best friend. He glanced over at Arcee who was watching carefully while still telling stories with Prowl. He made the right choice. Still, in the back of his mind, he still could not get over how hot Miko was, even angry...

And it was clear she was very angry.

OoOoOoOoO

"Oh slag," Rumble said when he came to, an hour later and miles away. He looked over at Frenzy as he started to slowly stand. "They killed Steve."

"What do we tell the boss?" Frenzy asked. The whole thing was a complete failure, but Soundwave wouldn't reformat them over this, would he?

"Tell him what?" Rumble asked. "As soon as we get back, he'll plug us in. If he isn't already watching."

"What was the point of the deal with him again?"

"I don't know, brother, but I'm slagging tired of this," He said, holding his head.

"Hey, what's that?" Frenzy asked, pointing at the streak in the sky. His optics were focusing on the object.

"It ain't a rock," Rumble started to record.

"Nope, looks like a ship," Frenzy agreed. "An' with Thundercracker back and not reporting in, it sure as rust means Starscream is stirring the sludge pit again."

"Primus!" Rumble cursed. "I hate that asshole."

"You sound human," Frenzy said, finally standing up himself.

"I look human," Rumble shifted his form again, transforming into the well dressed skinjob he been masquerading in.

"You're right, fuck it," Frenzy agreed, shifting himself. "I'm tired of being cannon fodder for their bullshit war. How many of our brothers and sisters did Megatron sacrifice as suicide bombers?"

"That's right, brother," Rumble lit another one of he cigarettes. "Where did it get any of us?"

"So now what?" Frenzy wondered, looking around the empty clearing. "Where the hell do we go to keep Soundwave from finding us?"

"Autobots?" Rumble frowned, not liking the option. Soundwave could find them anywhere, anytime. For even expressing displeasure, he was surprised they weren't already scrap. The boss was slipping.

"And just how the hell do we find them?" Frenzy wondered, letting the transition complete itself. "Where are we?"

Rumble attempted to connect to the nearest satellite for positioning.

"HIghway's that way," He pointed. He looked at Frenzy, "We're slagged, aren't we?"

"Probably," Frenzy agreed. "But if we're going out, we might as well decide how."

"So we steal a car," Rumble decided, pulling a small blaster from behind his back. "And we go to the crash site."

"Beak's watching that," He said.

"And eventually, Soundwave will want to know why we haven't come back, or reported in."

"I can't go back," Frenzy admitted. They had been sacrificed one too many times, and this time nearly killed by Decepticons.

They trudged along for a while before finally coming to road. The streak in the sky was getting brighter and larger. To their knowing eyes, it was clear something was up. They both kept taking peaks at it even as they both did their best to ignore it. It prickled at the backs of their necks.

"Hey, I think I hear someone," Frenzy said when they reached the road.

"Yeah," Rumble's optics zeroed in on the oncoming vehicle. "We better hide."

"Why?" Frenzy started to watch himself. "Damn." They both scurried to hide behind as rock. Peering over, they watched a long procession of military trucks pass by. They tightened their grips on their blasters.

Suddenly, they both looked at each other as something snapped inside their heads. Quickly, they began to clear.

"Where's the boss?" Rumble asked.

"Scrap, I think we're free," Frenzy's eyes narrowed. He glared at the passing convoy again. "Something ain't right with these humans."

"Our problem?" Rumble asked, holding his head. There was no pull, no more pain. He was his own bot again.

"Getting out of here is our problem," Frenzy agreed. "Far, far away before that thing lands."

"Next car?" Rumble asked.

"If they haven't already blocked the road."

"Then there will be something to steal at the road block," Rumble decided, standing up to continue their trek.

OoOoOoOoO

"So whatchya been hiding," June finally asked her son when the party died back down from the fascination of the holo-emitters. "And what happened to Miko?"

"Uh," He scratched at the back of his neck awkwardly. "Hiding?"

"Yes," She said, leaning forward with a smile. "I think I can tell when my son is mooning over some girl."

"Like?" He wondered.

"Like, I don't know," She glanced around. "Miko?"

"No!" He stood up, shocked that she would even consider it, even if he refused to think of all of the evidence. "No, it was just a misunderstanding."

"You know what I mean," June said. "That girl likes to be the center of attention, and to show off. Why did she eat cake and then disappear?"

"I don't know?" He said defensively. He was glad when she finally left after shooting daggers at Arcee. Miko looked like she might burst at any time and tell all of them off. He could always tell if Miko was faking something.

Still, his mother kept up. "I mean, Jack." She shook her head. "I know it isn't my business, but that girl is into you."

"Uhh..." He froze, unsure what tp say. How to explain. He hoped...He prayed for anything to interrupt this.

"Ratchet," Raf said loud enough to get every one's attention. He was looking up and pointing at the big viewer, interrupting the game that seemed like it had gone on for a while.

"Huh?" Ratchet looked up from his hand. He jumped up to start manipulating the controls. "There's something coming in. Optimus!"

"I see it, Ratchet," Prime said, standing from where he had been sitting close with Elita-One. It was evident to Jack that a serious conversation had been interrupted.

"So that was what was following us," Elita added. Her lips pursed with annoyance.

"Elita," Ratchet replied. "There was something following you, and you didn't say anything?"

She shrugged, "It was a free, interstellar trade route."

"This planet doesn't have interstellar flight," Ratchet shook his head. "They can barely get into their own orbit. And they've only sent little more than tin cans to their moon."

"Whyever did the ancients..." She shook her head in disbelief.

"That was a great achievement!" Fowler said with some pride. "My daddy worked on Apollo."

"Be that as it may, we have a more pressing concern now," Ratchet waived them both off before moving satellites to get a better look at it. He was certain that the humans would not mind a few minutes of time.

"Whose ship could it be?" Optimus asked, moving to watch next to their medic and scientist.

"Hail them," Elita said. Jack wondered why they didn't bother when it was in space. How could they miss this? She stepped forward, prepared to speak. When the frequency was open, "This is-"

"This is Optimus Prime," He said clearly, preventing Elita from taking charge. "Identify yourself. This is a restricted planet and a war zone. Cybertronian vessel, this is Optimus Prime."

Everyone watched and waited. Jack slipped away from his mother and Agent Fowler, moving closer to Arcee and Prowl. He could sense something was coming. He put his hand on her knee before glancing up at Prowl. The room was thick with the tension.

"I have its trajectory," Raf said from his corner, his laptop open. "Looks like Yellowstone."

"Ha!" Ratchet laughed and shook his head. "Old Faithful."

"Old Faithful?" Prowl asked Jack and Arcee.

"I don't know why Ratchet finds it funny," He explained. "But its a geyser."

"Honestly, I don't understand half of what Ratchet finds funny," Arcee shrugged. She had walked in on Ratchet watching YouTube for videos on more than one occasion.

"So if it isn't you guys," Jack speculated. "And not Wheeljack..."

"There are other Cybertronians acting as traders," Prowl said. "Or pirates. We do other things than just fight with each other."

"The timing just isn't right," Jack frowned and looked at Prowl. "This would be too much of a coincidence."

"You are right," Prowl agreed, eyes narrowing as he watched Optimus and Elita stand side by side. He had been certain the Decepticons they picked up a long the way were up to something, but there was nothing he could prove.

Optimus walked over to where the three of them gathered. "Arcee, Prowl." He looked down at Jack. "I hate to ask this of you on such a day as this, but I would like the three of you to go to Yellowstone monitor the situation."

"Me too?" Jack's eyes widened. He had never really been sent on a mission by Optimus, not one with so little certainty.

"Him too?" Prowl asked, amused. Arcee, instead, frowned, looking down at Jack.

"Yes," Prime looked over Jack. "You've always proved yourself. And if this is a prelude to a much larger force, a human should be there to meet it."

"Yes," Jack swallowed hard. "Sure."

"I will go on this little run too," Elita-One said.

"Very well," Optimus looked over them.

"We don't get a vote?" Prowl asked Arcee.

"Nope," Arcee laughed uneasily. She ruffled Jack's hair. "Get your kit. Tell your mom."

"Sure thing," He smirked, going off to prepare.

"He's a good sniper," Arcee said when he was gone.

"I'm sure he is," Prowl said in agreement. "If you had not stayed his hand. he would have done considerable damage to me."

"I know," Arcee replied with a mix of worry and pride. "I know, Prowl."

"And what should the rest of us do?" Ironhide asked, one fist smacking hard into his palm.

"Be a good soldier and enjoy some R&R," Ratchet said from the computer.

"Ironhide," Prime said. "I want you and Bulkhead to relieve Hot Rod and Bumblebee. We might need their speed very shortly."

"Aye, now that's the ticket," Ironhide stretched, ready for some real work. He slapped Bulkhead on the back. "Maybe the 'Con's will send us some more toys our way for a little work out."

"Uh, yeah," Bulk replied, wide-optic'd. He never gotten to serve with a legend like Ironhide. He had been one of the original Autobots from the start of the war.

"And me?" Kup asked, standing unsteadily.

"Make yourself useful up here in analyzing the ship's signature," Ratchet replied. "You old, drunk."

Kup leaned back and laughed, moving over the computer, "Right. Well, let's get to work."

"Jack?" June asked, caught up in the usual frenzy when the Autobots start a mission. "You're going too?"

"Yes, mom," He smiled. "Like I haven't done this before."

"But, its your birthday," She teared up.

He hugged her tightly. "And I promise, it won't be my last."

"Sure, honey," She held him as long as she could. "Your father's card..."

He finally let go, and looked at her. "What about it?"

"It never came, did it?" She asked, stifling back tears.

"No," Jack shrugged. Why was she mentioning it now? He wondered.

"He used to always send one," She said. "Even if it wasn't much."

"I don't need it," Jack shook his head. "I never needed it. Got you, Bill, Arcee. Them."

"I know," June hugged him again. She looked at him, "Arcee? Bill?"

"Yes, mom. Arcee." He looked down in admission. "I've got Arcee."

"Oh," Her eyes widened before she looked at Prowl and Arcee again. "Right."

"I better go. We'll all talk about this later." He said, slipping away.

"Yes," June said, her face hardening. She glanced at Agent Fowler and leaned into him. He wrapped his arms around her.

"Well, we didn't talk about that," Bill smirked.

"He's so much like its father, and he doesn't know it."

For once, Agent William Fowler did not know what to say, but he was glad that after being caught with his pants down only hours before, he was accepted by June's son. He just hoped he came back from this.


	4. Chapter 4

**History**

"Now there's a sunset," Hot Rod said, as he leaned against the hull of the Ark, near the dent Bulkhead's backside left. The whole ship was scorched and pock-marked from centuries in space. He patted the side and whistled. It was a shame to see so much history parked into the side of mountain. He turned back to watch the creep of the yellow sun begin to dip behind the range. Bumblebee made a noise of agreement.

Well, Hot Rod hoped it was agreement. There really had not been much talk coming from the angry scout. It'd been mega-vorns since... Hot Rod frowned.

He and a small group of Autobots had been pinned down in-he struggled to remember exactly which city. By that stage in the war, aside from Kaon and Iacon, they were nearly all rubble. He strained his processors as he rummaged through his storage, giving into the narrative in his head. If Bee wasn't going to talk to him, he might as well remember why.

They were in Praxus, his eyes widened. The Decepticons had them stuck on a back street, about thirty stories up from the lower depths of the towers. There'd been cycles of intense missile fire from above that was weakening the the lattice work of roads and bridges that linked structures in the city. Like everything on Cybertron, before the war it had been a one of the great and varied jewels of the planet.

They has been racing from spot to spot, trying to find a safe spot to hunt down the sniper. It was him, Bumblebee, Brawn, Green Torch, and a blue and purple bot-Hot Rod couldn't remember his name anymore. (The file had become too corrupted from time and exposure to cosmic rays.) Green Torch went down first when the first bridge collapsed. They were all almost across when the blast hit above.

There was a crash as steel and paristeel began raining down from the sky. Green Torch was bringing up the rear, firing off his own ordinance to meet and repel the falling debris. He missed the last piece that came down behind him. Hot Rod remembered how he was just almost across... Then he was transforming,

::It's collapsing,:: Cracked across their comms. Hot Rod turned, racing back. He leaped into robot-mode.

Green fingers held onto the edge, even as the edge began to bend from the weight and stress. He grabbed Green Torch's arm, beginning to pull him up. He looked into his optics as the other bot's face contorted into horror. "Look out!" He screeched.

Hot Rod looked up. He heard the sound of a missile from above. Thundercracker hovered above them, firing down at his leisure. There was a hunter's glint in his optics. The missile shot down. Hot Rod pulled away, tugging on Green Torch.

Then suddenly, the the arm went slack. He looked over at the space in front of him. His optics widened in horror. Green Torch's hand still gripped his own, but sparked from where the bot had once been connected to it. Hot Rod released the hand, not sure what else to do. He transformed and pushed his accelerator to join the group. The only good thing, he realized, they now knew the identity of their attacker.

"Sir?" One of the human soldiers looked up at him. Since Bee could not talk to them without some sort of visual aid, they started coming to him with periodic reports. He had tried begging them off earlier on. After all, he was supposed to only be there temporarily, which made his spark dim each time he looked at the damage on the ship.

"Yes, Spike?"

"Yes, sir," the soldier said. "Agent Fowler said you should be expecting relief soon."

"Oh, remembered us, did they?" Hot Rod folded his arms and glanced at Bee. He could not understand why either of were being punished for a little horseplay. But the time outside had given him time to search for an appropriate alt-form.

"I..." Captain Witwicky shrugged. "I make it a habit not to speculate when it comes down to you bots."

"Spent that much time around us?" He asked.

"Since I was a Private," Witwicky said. "Bagged a couple 'Cons myself."

"Impressive," Hot Rod was not sure if batch-mechs counted as much resistance, but humans were supposed to still be primitive. He took another look at the weapons they were carrying. They did not look standard issue. And none of Fowler's men looked like they handled the weapons like rookies.

"Fine. How long?" Hot Rod wondered. The stars were coming out. The desert around them was starting to become noisy with wildlife.

::Gets dark out here quick:: Bee said ominously. His brights one his chest flashing in Hot Rod's optics. He flipped his own on in response.

"Within the hour, Fowler said. They are tracking another ET coming in fast up north."

"Who knew Earth was such a popular vacation spot?" Hot Rod wondered.

"It isn't supposed to be," Witwicky frowned, beginning to walk back to his command post half a klik away. The best Hot Rod could tell they'd blocked everything off for seven or eight kliks all around. There'd also been no air traffic.

"How are you going to cover all this mess up?" Hot Rod asked.

"Don't know, not in my pay grade," Witwicky said as he kept walking.

Hot Rod frowned and glanced at Bumblebee. "Look, I'm sorry. What the slag else do you want me to do? I can't undo it what happened"

Bumblebee slumped.

::Hot Rod,:: Brawn's voice came out of his memories. ::Blast it! Keep up. This isn't a time for sightseeing. And pass that onto Green Torch.::

Horrified, Hot Rod dumped his most recent memories through the comm before laughter started to fill it. An old Seeker hunting song filled the airwaves. All they could hear in real-time was the sound of Thundercracker's engines as he rocketed through the tunnels after them. Instead of targeting them, he started targeting loose objects above them with his lasers.

He was determined to crush them. ::You see, I made a bet with my sister on just how many Autobots I could crack open to see just what filled their spark chambers. She's killed three of you in another part of the city, and I hate to lose.::

::Well, you better prepare yourself for it,:: Brawn snapped around, transforming before unleashing a volley himself. Thundercracker kept flying. Brawn's fist was outstretched as it smacked into Thundercracker's nosecone. He crumpled against the side of the wide tunnel, transforming before he hit it.

The other three 'bots turned, prepared to make a stand against the Seeker. There really was only two directions for him to fly in, assuming he did not bring the whole structure down on them. The four of them unleashed a barrage of laser fire on the Seeker. Still, none of it snuck past his energy shielding.

"Scrap!" Bumblebee yelled, hearing the sonic pulse begin to generate from inside Thundercracker. Their eyes widened as they all transformed and began to race towards the next bend. The ceiling began to cave in. Hot Rod was fender to fender with the yellow bot as they raced to outrun the cave in. The blue bot was behind them, his sensory circuits scrambled all the input. Hot Rod and Bee didn't see it when he bought it...

(Out Run? Was that the bots name? Wars shouldn't be measured in galactic turns, he reflected. Lost friends should not outnumber the stars in the galaxy.)

They both raced, ignoring everything behind them. Hot Rod tried to push out the pure panic until something gave in himself and he started the turn. Energon pumped through his engines. It was too much like the last Great Cybertronian Prix from vorns before. He moved, reading to bear into the turn.

After all, they'd just lost Green Torch and Out Run, gone before they had a chance to react. All Hot Rod could do was react. His processors locked into what he knew best: racing. His accelerator pushed as he leaned in too close. The yellow bot couldn't win! Not this time! He smashed violently into Bumblebee.

Bumblebee wiped out, smashing his back end into the wall. The tunnel shook as the dust settled. Brawn stopped, so did Hot Rod. They transformed, going back for Bumblebee.

"Are you-?" Hot Rod asked Bee.

Anger and panic showed across the bot's face. The blips and beeps of the base Cybertronian dialect came out. His vocalizer's software had been scrambled. He could only manage to speak in their most basic of machine languages.

"Well," Brawn shook his head as he surveyed Bumblebee's damage. His legs was crushed and transforming was out of the question. He tapped his secure communicator. "This is Brawn, three for immediate evac."

"Bee, I'm sorry," Hot Rod tried to explain. Unfortunately, he already knew that the only way to fix Bee would be to reformat Bumblebee's core software, so integrated the vocalizers were into their makeup.

Instead, Bumblebee slapped away his hand. ::You idiot. You conceded oil slicker! It wasn't a scrapping race. You never could handle losing.::

Brawn looked up, then at Hot Rod. Bombs started going off around them. "Atomics," Brawn said grimly. He knew the world around them was being levelled.

"So much for Praxus," Hot Rod looked down, wondering how long it would be. Nose to nose, Hot Rod still wondered if he had been caught up in the ancient memories of racing other bots for energon, glory and the femmes instead of for his life. It was a move he had done to bot after bot going round the long track...that was now vaporized in Praxus.

Somehow, the building they were in held. They stayed put, and waited. It took several cycles before anyone could get to them. Hot Rod endured Bumblebee's seething anger. If it weren't for Brawn's calming presence and Bee's destroyed leg, he might not have made it out alive...

"I've wanted to say this a long time," Hot Rod was shaking from his memory by a short, black human standing in front of him. "Fuck you!"

"What?" Hot Rod blinked before looking up at Bee. The yellow bot seemed dimmer than usual, his lights were off.

"Yeah, look at me, down here," The human said.

"Uhm," Hot Rod's optics blinked again. "Oh, you got some of Wheeljack's toys?"

Quickly, Hot Rod created a human template from an actor that seemed pretty popular in human culture from England. It shimmered into life. He stood tall with a shock of flaming red hair with a red and yellow racing jacket to match Bee's black and yellow one. "Kup and I saw him a cycle or so ago on Junkion. He gave us a couple of these to help us out as we roamed. Didn't know he gave some to Optimus' crew too."

He frowned and looked down. "I don't know what happened back in that tunnel, but I messed up. It was too much."

"You're just saying that because you're stuck here," Cassius-Bee patted the side of the Ark before getting in close.

"Possibly," Hot Rod shrugged. "But what else can I do, but roll with it?"

"Fine, we race and settle it," Bee said.

"When we won't get shot by a stasis ray by Elita-One, or chewed out by Optimus," Hot Rod offered his hand. It was the human thing to do. Grudgingly, Bumblebee took it and shook.

Hot Rod looked up at himself, "Damn, I'm one attractive bot."

"With sand in your optics if you keep it up," Bee replied, folding his arms. "We're big, aren't we?"

"Yeah," He agreed.

Bee glanced at him. "Knock-Out is on the other side here too. I owe him a few paint scratches."

"Knock-Out, really?" Hot Rod smirked. "We may not have enough for a league race, but there's plenty of roads to pretend."

"Optimus doesn't allow it," He shrugged. "Too much like the old days with the pits. We aren't meant to be wagered on for sport."

"Really?" Hot Rod shook his head before glancing at Bumblebee. "We'll see about that. What if it really is my choice?"

"The humans have laws against it on their roads," Bee added.

The human, Spike, started marching up again, weapon drawn. "Identify yourselves. And where did you come from?"

Hot Rod pointed up at his body. "There."

"Uh, shit," Spike looked at Bumblebee and Hot Rod before looking at their holoforms. He walked up to Cassius. "I've always wanted to shake your hand, and thank you for saving my ass that time."

"It was no problem," Bumblebee said awkwardly. He'd never conversed with a human outside of Raf, or the kids at breakfast earlier in the day.

"It's what we do," Hot Rod said.

"I ain't seen you do anything but run your mouth," Spike said.

"Call me Cassius," Bee said. "Cassius Clay."

"Right," Spike scratched the back of his neck after holstering his gun.

"What do I call you, red?"

"What's a good human name?" Hot Rod asked.

"I've got a son named Daniel that would love what you've picked," Spike said.

"That works," Hot Rod decided. "Daniel."

"Try Ron, instead," Spike said, frowning.

"Why?" Hot Rod asked.

"I don't know," Spike walked away. "My son isn't annoying."

"Everywhere you go, right?" Bee asked. "Hot Ron Weasely."

"Yes, everywhere I go." Hot Rod sighed. "I always thought people liked me."

"Brawn liked you," Bumblebee shrugged. "Don't know why."

"He always saw the divinity in me," Hot Rod stood up a bit taller, smugly. "He's gone back to the pulpit."

"The Church of Primus, again?" Bumblebee asked, skeptically.

"Optimus wasn't on New Cybertron, so there's no one to divine the will of Primus, so a few of the remaining clerics started it up again. "All of them are claiming they supported the no-Caste sect, of course. Like the Cyber-Ninja school."

"We killed Primus when we killed Cybertron," Bumblebee looked down glumly. Being one of the last ones sparked, it has an affect on him. He still felt close to him, and Optimus because of it. "Let him rest."

"Tell that to Brawn and the others." Hot Rod shrugged. "He always asks where I was during the micro-vorn communion."

"What do you tell him?" Bee smirked.

"Tune up, of course," Hot Rod chuckled, slapping Bee's back. maybe they could be friends again.

"I heard they had a big convert though," He added, looking at Bee.

"Who? A 'Con?" He asked.

"Swindle, no less," Hot Rod burst into laughter. "He decided to rob Solus Prime's tomb at it gave him a hell of a reprogramming."

"No slagging way," Bee leaped up, to sit on his own yellow shoulder. Just to match him, Hot Rod did the same to his own.

"Odd view," He looked around into the night. He sniffed the air. "So what's up with Arcee?"

"What?" Bee's eyed widened.

"You get into her chamber, at all?"

"No," Bumblebee frowned. "And after her and Cliffjumper, I don't think…." He shook his head realizing what Hot Rod was really asking. "Trust me, she won't be into it. There's Jack-" He sniffed the air, noticing the telltale smell of ozone as the bridge began to come to life.

"Damn it," He said, realizing he'd was about to be in so much trouble.

Agent Fowler walked out with Ironhide and Bulkhead at either side of them.

Ironhide chuckled, "Well, now it seems old Prime was right. Stick you two out here by yourselves with no other option than to talk to each other, and you'll work it out." He looked at both holoforms. "I just didn't think it would be like this."

The holoforms disappeared as the projectors dropped. Both bots came back online.

"We're uhmm," Bulkhead looked at them both, surprised. "We're here to relieve you."

"Good," Hot Rod stretched his arms and legs. "I've got sand in my gears."

"Ratchet and Kup are back at base with Optimus," Ironhide added. "You'll both be needed, so get oiled up and charged."

Bee saluted, standing up straighter. Ever the good solider, Hot Rod thought. "Oh well," Hot Rod said, patting the hull again of the Ark. "Remember when this was a pleasure ship? Before it was rechristened "

"That you were too young to fly on," Ironhide put a hand on his shoulder.

"A sparkling could have dreams," Hot Rod laughed, trying not to forget that it had been staffed mostly by low caste femme slaves.

"Hot Rod," Bulkhead said, frowning. "Get back to base before you make someone else mad."

"Yes, sir," Hot Rod agreed. "Can someone give me a bridge?"

Bee squawked and beeped before transforming. He revved his engine before kicking sand into Hot Rod's shins.

::We're only a kiik,:: Bee told him before shooting off in the direction of the base, which was inside the perimeter the Army set up.

Hot Rod chuckled before joining him in hot pursuit.

"'Hide," Fowler shouted. "Bulk, I want you to meet the command staff that'll be keeping interested humans away."

"Sure," Ironhide stomped his way over.

"Bulk, you know Spike and Will."

"How you doing?" Bulkhead asked them both.

"Ironhide, this is Captains Spike Witwicky and Williams Lennox," Fowler introduced them. "Treat them right, and they'll take care of it."

"Very well, Agent Fowler," Ironhide knelt down to look at them both. "Always good to meet a couple of soldiers."

Lennox looked up and smirked, "Just long as we're all on the same side."

Ironhide chuckled himself and looked at Bulkhead. "Now, what in Unicron's vat's has been going on around here?"

Bulkhead frowned, putting a hand on Ironhide's forearm. Hero or not, there were things he had to know about Earth. "Careful, the ground could still have ears..."

OoOoOoOoO

_Firewalled!_ Slipstream raged inside her own head. In her makeshift cell, she discovered quickly that Optimus had left open a door into their networks. Of course, only the librarian would be clever enough to wall a data miner like her in. He had left quite a bit for her to peruse, but how was much truth, and how much was propaganda? After all, she remembered, he had intended her to spend some time thinking. Still, Optimus Prime never dealt in falsehoods, just the Autobot version of the truth.

The war raged all around her inside the digital domain, played out again for her benefit. She had missed so much in near death on that asteroid. No one had come for her in all that time, not even her brother Starscream...

::I did not intend these painful truths to come like this:: Optimus Prime stood before her. Was this a projection, or the bot himself?

She started to ask, but instead he raised his hand. It silenced her thought.

::Slipstream,:: He said. ::You've been the Seeker's intelligence expert long enough to know when something is just a memory.::

::Yes,:: She walked around Prime, gauging him.

::This is the only place I knew you would listen."

::My mind, your mind?:: She glanced around.

::Teletraan 1::

::And just what do you intend for me to hear and learn?:: Slipstream asked.

::Truth.::

::Your truth?:: Her guards inside her own mind went up, prepared for an assault from the computer systems, from Prime himself. There were so many dangerous things. With her body in stasis and purely in the computational realm, she was just as vulnerable as spending the vorns in her own mind on that rock.

::We've failed,:: She said with acceptance.

::All of us,:: Optimus said in agreement.

What was the point to this? She wondered. What did he want? Taking and keeping prisoners did not happen much on Cybertron. Every battle was to the death. Both sides hated each other with nearly the same vitriol Megatron held for the data archivist that now kept her under lock and key.

::Between here, and the new colony,:: He said. ::We can begin again, Slipstream. The old ways must end.::

Somehow, she knew. She called up Megatron and Starscream's recent failures. The messes they created. It was typical of them both to decide that if they could not control their planet, their people, they would settle for this insignificant ball of dirt orbiting a mundane yellow star. If it wasn't for the energon deposits...

::I waited to show you something,:: Prime said, trawling his own memories. The world around them shifted. She looked around them. They stood before a mountain that pumped out a purple ooze.

::Dark Energon, here?:: Her optics widened with surprise. A quick file audit showed the memories to be true ones. Her vision swept across the memory as she saw two combatants in a mortal struggle. Optimus fought Megatron with a ferocity she had never witnessed on their home planet.

He forwarded through the memory. They now stood on a thin bridge. Metallic creatures swooped around them. She resisted the urge to swat at the things. His Autobots fought bravely. The femme rode one to safety, killing the flying bots as she went.

Optimus and Megatron... She had never witnessed such a thing. They fought back to back nearly as one, almost with the same mind of any combiner. It was more than that. It was if the two bots shared a spark. "Brother..." Megatron used to call the librarian-Orion Pax.

She looked to Optimus Prime and regarded him once again. For once, she felt she understood. She had watched the speech in the Senate's chamber with Starscream. Scream's smirking and scheming forced her to keep her opinions to herself on the matter. The gears were turning so fast in his head she was afraid he might overheat his processors again. He thought he could manipulate the brute. Slipstream's own investigations into Megatron's records showed just how cunning he really was. She would have had something solid to warn the Wing Commander with if it was not for that overly tight spring, Soundwave.

She scowled, coming back to what Optimus was showing her. They were facing the very essence of Unicron.

::Unicron's belly is worse than the old one's would have you believe,:: Her guide commented as they walked through the action, following the memory file to the end.

::How did you come up with such a perspective?:: She asked.

::I've asked my Autobots to share the memories for posterity.:: He replied. ::Others must know that this is Unicron's resting place, much as our own husk of a planet is Primus'.:: She had never heard a bot speak with such regret.

::Why show me?::

::You've missed a lot.::

::I have more,:: His hands moved in the air, as if manipulating a control screen. ::Would you accompany me to the _Nemesis?_::

::I have a choice?:: Slipstream wondered.

::No,:: Optimus said grimly as the bridge appeared. ::I obtained all of this during the brief time I was tricked into wearing the purple mask::

Slipstream frowned as she realized that none of it was a facsimile either. The numbers of Deceptions, just as the numbers of Autobots seemed to be greatly reduced to batch-mechs sparked and constructed for the cause.

::Megatron uses mental slaves,:: Optimus said.

Slipstream walked the bridge before looking out. She looked at the memory of Soundwave, of Knock-Out...or a shocked Airachnid when Optimus was spotted.

::Every Cybertronian life is precious,:: Optimus said. ::Even yours, Slipstream.::

Instead of agreeing, she took control of the simulation. drawing upon her own distant memories. Rock formed around them, then the empty void of space. It was cold. Stars glittered in the distance. They moved slowly around a red sun. Junkion passed in the inner solar system a quarter light year away.

::This is where you left me,:: Slipstream said. ::For Mega-cycles. This is where the Decepticons abandoned me while my beacon blared into the night::

::An the bots on Junk?:: Optimus wondered.

::Were not our people,:: Slipstream reminded him. ::I waited and waited, powering down except for a few nano-cycles every orbit around that star. Vorns passed. I did everything to strengthen my signal.:: She sneered at Optimus, knowing she would sneer at Megatron or Starscream equally. They should never have been reduced to such madness. Data points dropped into place as mistake, after mistake, after mistake became clear.

But still, Starscream as her Wing Commander and flight brother. Where he flew, she followed. It was the Seeker way.

And then, she felt something move by her cell. It was the slightest of signal, but it was enough for her to latch onto. She held the signal, worming part of her intelligence through as she jumped from one wireless relay to another wireless relay. She reached a fork: she could begin exploring the Earth's networks and get a signal out to Scream and her brothers, to risk losing the tenuous connection to the small digital device that seemed to be filled with all the prattling of a human girl; or she could follow the other connection straight into Teletraan 1.

Inwardly, she smiled, after spending a nano-cycle to peruse the multitude of snapshots of her former cohorts in various compromising situations. There were quite a few of the humans as well. It confirmed much of what she suspected of the hypocrisy of the Autobots. They never had sought to undo the systems that held their society stagnant, but simply step into the void left by the upper castes. They were all middling bots, taking organic pets of their own. Slipstream knew the practice to be ghastly. It did not take long for her to discover that she was also having boy trouble...

As she mulled over the implications, she began picking through the ancient computer (Or at least, the parts of it she could bear to examine. There were just some things they were not meant to fathom. It would have been as if she were looking upon the spark of Primus himself. Slipstream knew she would never be worthy.)

A local ground bridge, she noticed as she picked through the control programing. The locks on her cell door were simple enough, as were the codes for her cuffs. In her corporeal form, she began to test her servos. The stasis ray was beginning to wear off. She giggled with amusement as she realized just what sort of systems Teletraan had been grafted onto... It was an ageing weapons control system with its own satellite uplink. _Lazy, lazy bots._ It did not take long to determine their location. How convenient of them to connect to a few others to track something else trying to land on the pathetic little blue world. Unicron or not, it did not seem like a place she wanted to stick around on for long.

She stood, shedding the cuffs finally. Now, all she needed was the perfect little hostage. Luckily, she was just outside the door...

OoOoOoOoO

"Oh, Miko," Bulkhead recorded into her voicemail. "Don't be angry. He's just a boy." He understood, he really did. He had been hurt like that before vorns before on Cybertron. He just did not need to think about it, or bring up old paint scratches. All he did was just loose his best mate to the gestalt of Devestator. Old wreckage, he reminded himself, trying to listen to Ironhide as he began to detail the damage on the Ark.

"It'd take two whole crews back on Cybertron," Bulkhead frowned. "I know, 'cause I worked on her the last time Elita crashed this behemoth."

"Yeah, you were there for that, son?" 'Hide asked.

"Wreckers were on in Iacon then," Bulk replied. "Not many Constructicons on our side."

"Don't I remember it," Ironhide agreed. He turned and patted the old ship lovingly. "Old gal, if you have to be scrapped, we'll do it right."

"Might be enough to salvage and build something new," Bulkhead shrugged. "But it'll take time and-" He looked back at the humans. "Manpower."

"Ah?" Ironhide followed his gaze, looking back at the humans. "Bet they'd love a looksie inside."

"Maybe even enough to melt some of us down for it," Bulkhead said warningly.

"Wouldn't be the first time it's been done," Ironhide shook his head before walking back towards the engines. "They seem like they're intact."

"Otherwise, there would be a crater," Bulk reminded him. "With a half-life of a few million vorns."

"Primus!" Ironhide agreed shaking his head. "And plenty of dead bots and organics."

"So, how many of you have gone native?" Ironhide asked with a smirk.

"Native?" Bulk wondered.

"You know, tried out the local fauna?"

"Oh," Bullkhead looked away and frowned. "Don't know, haven't asked."

"Ha!" Ironhide laughed skeptically. "That femme's up to something, and not saying much."

"Uh," Bulk looked down, not wanting to betray anything. However, it did not look like Ironhide didn't approve... "Not my place, barely my business."

"Of course," Ironhide leaned against the ship, certain it would hold his weight. Bulkhead joined him and started watching the people scurrying around with their trucks going between outposts. The silence held before Ironhide started up again, "Of course, I can't say I haven't seen the softer side of organics. Can't say I haven't enjoyed a tentacle or two."

"Uhh," Bulk looked at the old bot.

"Only problem with organics is their shelf life." Ironhide frowned from the replay of memories. "Their squishiness."

"Uhh." Bulk looked up from the horizon. He focused on the shadows rather than the old bot's reminiscing. It was the last thing he wanted to think about. It was also the last thing he wanted to consider, interfacing with an organic. He just wasn't made for them, or made for that, or even pairing off.

It was about the work crew, building something, creating something new where nothing had been in its place. It was about the brotherhood of following a master plan. That was how he was programmed. It was the thing the war trashed in him so thoroughly, that it'd nearly deadened his spark. Prime and Kup had taught him about becoming so much more than his programming, just like the humans did every day. He just knew he did not need much more than what he had... He looked back at the ship, seeing the project in front of them. He wouldn't mind being a laborer again.

He thought about Miko and Jack and Arcee. He did not need that kind of complication. Sure, he liked Miko, like he could like his own sparkling. He just did not understand what Arcee was up to with Jack. Poor Miko, he thought.

"Saw you couldn't manifest a human projection too," Ironhide added.

"Yeah," Bulkhead admitted. "They're not a bad species, but-"

"Not us," Ironhide agreed.

"You might be stuck here a while. Supplies could be a bit rough with a rebuild."

"Just one more adventure," Ironhide laughed, slapping him on the back. "Just one more adventure in a long string of them."

"Earth isn't so bad," Bulkhead said, looking back at the humans. "A few bot's with some initiative could build a paradise here."

"With a trade," Ironhide added.

"Isn't that everywhere we land?" Bulkhead added. "Hell, the ancients were even here."

"Hell?" Ironhide wondered.

"Human concept, not as close as we are to Unicron's vats."

"That bad?"

"Prime has a simulation based on our recordings," Bulkhead shivered. "He thought we might need proof."

"Bad then," Ironhide shook his head, kicking the ground for good measure. He suddenly wanted to be off that planet and be anywhere else as soon as he could.

"So the human you kept watching during that party for Arcee's pet?" 'Hide wondered.

"A friend, a sister," Bulkhead said with confidence. He tried her phone again. "And if I can get her to pick up her phone, I'll get her to come out."

"Why?" 'Hide wondered.

"She livens everything up," Bulkhead laughed. "Too quiet out here." He slid through the radio stations around the globe before settling on a classic rock station from Texas he was sure Ironhide would like. There was something about him that reminded him of an old pickup, or an SUV. He wondered if he'd picked out an alt-form yet.

"What's that?" Ironhide was pointing towards a large, black shadow circling overhead, only noticeable by the stars it eclipsed. One of the humans was leveling a pulse cannon, ready to take aim at it. Bulk wasn't sure if it was such a good idea. He mulled calling it in, or stopping them. It did not look like an organic bird.

A blue energy blast shot from the back of the truck the cannon was mounted on. The bird plummeted to the ground.

They both transformed, driving out the half mile to where it fell. Witwicky and Lennox rode out with the sniper.

"Laserbeak," Witwicky said, looking up at both of the looked back at his man. "Hell of a shot, Antilles."

"Yeah," Ironhide agreed. "One a million Autobots wanted to make."

He reached down, picking the still twitching Decepticon up. "I've never known Soundwave to let her do something like that."

"Her?" Bulkhead wondered.

"Only a femme could be this sneaky for so long," He laughed.

"Don't say that around my wife and daughter," Lennox laughed.

"We should report this in," Bulkhead said, wincing as Ironhide snapped Laserbeak's neck in two, ensuring that its transmitters to Soundwave were destroyed.

"I'd give you something as a trophy," Ironhide said, holding the head and body in each hand. "But I'm sure Ratchet would want to examine this. Might be something stored worth looking at. Might finally get that answer we've been wondering for years."

Bulkhead leaned over and looked at Ironhide, waiting for an explanation. Truthfully, 'Hide was nothing like the bot he expected. They might have been able to save Laserbeak...

"You don't know?" Ironhide asked.

"We never knew if Soundwave was a femme that had been worked on playing gladiator or not."

"Oh," Bulkhead's optics widened. "But..."

"There was a separate pool over it," He continued. "Even speculation that Soundwave and Airachnid were rivals for Megatron. It was all over the holos. Then things started getting political, and you know..."

"They got real," Bulkhead agreed. Why hadn't he heard any of this? Shame Miko wasn't there. She'd have loved it. He took a step back before trying her phone again. There was nothing. He started contacting the base, same result.

"Ironhide," He said. "I think we've got a problem."

OoOoOoOoO

"Yeah," Jack said into his helmet's comm as he rode Arcee into the sunset as they raced along a deserted highway next to Prowl. He'd been ignoring the incessant buzzing from his phone for a few minutes. "She's really pissed."

"How can you tell?" Arcee's voice broadcasted into his ears.

"Oh, you know," Jack said, realizing for himself that he did not have any real proof other being thrown out of her room. He did not want read the obscenities he was certain were being hurled to his phone.

"She's tough," Arcee decided. "She'll move on."

"Yeah," He looked down at the speedometer to check it. A bug smacked against his face screen. Just another ride, he thought. "I saw you first, you know."

"You mother thinks I'm up to something," Arcee replied.

"Yeah?" Jack leaned forward almost into her handlebars. "I told her before we left."

"She said she would slash my tires," Arcee wondered if she should consider a better location for power downs than their garage.

Jack laughed uneasily, "She'll deal with it. She's dealt with the giant robot thing. This isn't that weird. Right?"

"I don't know, Jack." There was a long pause in the conversation. Jack decided to leave her to it. "Hey, does anything look familiar about those tire marks?"

"Yeah," Jack frowned, a few eye twitches and he compared them with some of Miko's pictures. "Knock-Out's brand."

"Coincidence?"

"I don't know," Jack's frown deepened. "Are there ever coincidences? It's not like he ever picks out anything common." He'd seen Knock-Out use seven different alt-forms in the past couple years, and none of them were models he had ever seen anywhere but on _Top Gear_. He followed the streaks with his eyes. "Looks like they go on for another mile and then he made a sharp turn. He must have been booking it."

"Since when did he ever take things slow?" Arcee asked.

"Knock-Out?" Prowl finally asked, joining in on the comm. "It is a shame Bumblebee and Hot Rod are not here yet."

"Just ready to open up all the old wounds, aren't you?" Arcee asked.

"Old wounds-" Jack started to ask.

Suddenly, a pink, two-seater roadster sped around them, weaving for a moment before taking the lead like she was supposed to be there. Jack smirked. "Nice of her to catch up. No traffic where she's from?"'

"Not a lot of good roads, yet. I am afraid," Prowl replied.

"So what's her deal?" Jack wondered.

"You know how there's only one in thirteen femmes among Cybetronians?" Arcee asked.

"Yeah?" Jack asked.

"Well, what happens when you have something everyone wants, but don't have the numbers to protect yourselves?"

"Right," He grimaced. "Sorry."

"She wasn't so lucky before the war, and was a low-caste slave to the Ark's captain. She was his toy. It was a pleasure vessel that catered to many different species, even rich organics." Prowl answered. "Emboldened by Optimus, she killed the captain and took the ship for the Autobots. Nearly destroyed it too, when the former slaves crashed it on Cybertron."

Jack whistled in amazement as he glanced at Elita's trunk and license plate. It spelled out her name in English as if she dared someone to challenge her. The only thing that delayed their leaving for so long was how long it took for her to pick out the alt-form. Jack had never imagined Cybertronians to be so picky. But the detested look she gave Raf for each suggestion was telling. She just did not like being on an organic world. Or at least, not one so primitive. He was almost surprised she wasn't a Decepticon, but Optimus' could be persuasive.

They followed the Autobot leader for a few more minutes in silence as Jack digested the implications of Elita's existence until she leaped into the air, transforming with her blaster's drawn. Arcee and Prowl were forced to swerve to either side around her. Their brakes squealed as they stopped. Jack practically jumped off Arcee's back, his weapon already out.

Prowl transformed, bow ready in his hand as he searched for whatever Elita was seeking. Arcee transformed behind them. They waited. "I sensed something moving," Elita said as a rabbit hopped its way past them on the road.

"That something?" Arcee asked, her blasters rotating away into their holsters.

It was quiet, and Jack could not help but notice just all the little things that were moving and living out in the middle of nowhere. The grass moved in the breeze. Gnats hovered in the air. He began to scan the area around himself, turning slowly. The sun was low on the horizon behind the mountains.

Frowning, he could see the Cybertronian vessel on its long burn through the atmosphere. It looked like a meteorite or a satellite crashing from orbit. The Cybertronian wanted everyone to know they were coming down for a visit.

"We should keep going," Jack said. "Before we get caught by a patrol from that roadblock we bridged past."

"Exactly," Arcee turned, ready to leap and transform. She had enough of playing delusional games with an old one. There was just too much at stake.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jack saw something move. It was a heat signature that burned a bit brighter than human. He levelled his blaster as targeted it. With his free hand, he lifted his visor. "Come out!"

Two humans walked out from behind a large rock. One wore purple, the other wore black. They held their hands up high. "We..." The black one started before their camouflage melted away. "We surrender."

"Rumble and Frenzy?" Prowl asked with skepticism.

OoOoOoOoO

"I know my storage isn't what it used to be," Kup said. "But I'm pretty sure that's Swindle."

"Swindle?" Ratchet asked, surprised.

"Yep, working the old routes again," Kup grimaced with certainty. "I think he used to swing out to this arm of the galaxy when he was an slaver. An' Hot Rod and I passed a ship like that skipping out of orbit of Valeria 2 about two cycles ago," He continued. "When we got down to the planet, they tried to shoot us. Before the lad talked them out of it."

"Ha!" Ratchet laughed.

"You should hear it when he starts up," Kup smirked.

"I'm sure," Ratchet shook his head before turning back to the console.

"Well, when we got them all calmed down, we found out that a bot matching Swindle's description tried to convert them to the Order of Primus."

"What?" Ratchet looked back with shock.

"Then sold them some bad fusion generators," Kup concluded.

"That sounds about right," Ratchet laughed.

"Somehow, we got them working again before they went critical and took out half the planet."

"What the hell?" Raf yelled, looking up from his computer. Alerts were going off that it was being invaded by something...someone. Optimus had told him to expect surprises, but not this.

Kup and Ratchet both turned to look at the boy, optics wide from surprise. Optimus' optics came alive, finally. "Rafael?"

"Something..." Raf' own eyes widened. "Someone just snuck into the network, and into-" His eyes followed the tenuous, invisible connection all the way to Teletraan.

"I know, Raf," Optimus said. "We would only have been able to hold Slipstream for so long until she began picking the locks."

"What?" Ratchet looked up with alarm. He looked down at his console with dismay as the screen began to flash.

"Is she really this...?" Raf looked at his own computer at frowned. "She's better than Soundwave."

"You got that right, kid," Kup said, pulling a fresh cigar out. He lit it before unslinging his plasma rifle. He looked at Prime. "Think she's out?"

"I think she's into the ground bridge controls," Ratchet sighed, standing back.

Raf jumped up, moving to the controls. His fingers danced over the keys. His eyes flicked across the large screen. With a click of a hot key, he'd opened a terminal and was furiously typing, trying to expel the invader from the systems. His mouth became hard set into a deep frown as he ran script after script as they were batted away by the virus that was Slipstream's mind.

"Damn it," he banged his fist onto the metal table. He cursed that his hands could not go as fast as his head. "Pull the hard line to the ground bridge."

Ratchet rushed over, pulling the plug in the middle of its start up sequence. Raf crawled underneath Teletraan, unplugging the computer from its connections to the greater world.

"We've got bots in the field, and Slipstream hacking out systems," Kup shook his head, weapon pointed at the hallway, waiting for the Seeker to come striding out. "Just like old times."

"No Soundwave and his mini's to muck things up," Ratchet reminded him. He looked around. "Where is Optimus?"

Kup looked around the room himself, "I don't know."

"Well," Raf sat back down at his computer, doing a hard boot from frustration to get into his alternate operating system. "Let's plug in and follow Plan B."

"Plan B?" Ratchet asked.

"Optimus asked if I could set up some software no one could access," Raf said before plugging in a USB thumb drive into his laptop.

"Of course," Ratchet shook his head.

"Orion really is good at this stuff," Raf said. Somehow, he understood the duality in Optimus Prime's thinking. "He really planned this out."

"Probably," Ratchet shook his head. More and more, Optimus seemed to be playing a game he just did not understand. _We're in Orion Pax's realm now._

OoOoOoOoO

"Slipstream," Optimus Prime called out down the hall. "Release Miko."

"Optimus!" Miko screamed in the shadows.

"Well, Prime," Slipstream said. "I must be losing my touch to have been caught by a mere organic."

"Slipstream," He stepped forward, his red and blue paint shined in the sporadic light from the long, dark hallway. He could begin to see the outline of Slipstream holding Miko loosely. "Let the girl go, and you may leave."

"That easy?"

"You have my word, Slipstream."

"The great Optimus Prime?" Slipstream asked incredulously, stepping into the light. "His word? I've heard how long your word lasts."

"You've not been our enemy for so very long," He said warningly. "Don't do it again."

"Optimus, just shoot her already!" Miko yelled, struggling in the Decepticon's grip.

"I've no wish to kill you."

"Optimus!" Miko protested, starting to kick. "Let me go, you bitch!"

"No, no, no," Slipstream hissed. "You're my -"

The lights around them began to flicker. Energy was being drawn into a space. Optimus took a step back warily. An orb of light coalesced between them as a dark outline stepped in between them. Two, stark, white optics opened up as lightning crackled off the bot. He stepped forward towards Optimus. "So this is what all the fuss is about?"

"Skywarp," Optimus gave him a levelling nod. His energon blade sprang to life, casting a shadow into the hall.

"Sister?" Skywarp glanced back. "Are we taking the pet, or are we leaving it behind?"

"Oh," Slipstream looked down at Miko who stared wide-eyed. "Hmm."

"Leave the girl out of this, and you may go," Optimus said.

"Or," Skywarp stepped even closer to Prime's blade. He grinned. "I could signal Megatron and his minions and we could all make war on this place."

"But you haven't," Optimus stepped forward slowly. "And you won't." he moved in a flash. His blade arced high in the air, before swiping through empty space. He looked down, marveling. Had Skywarp ever even been there, or was it just a trick of his teleportation ability?

He looked down, seeing Miko's mobile telephone on the floor. It was evident that it had been tampered with. With two fingers, he carefully lifted from the floor. He created a USB connection from one of his data cables. He began to scan, following the routes Slipstream had used..._Clever, clever data miner_...

He just hoped not too clever.

"Optimus?" Rafael asked, running down the hallway. No one could miss the energy surge.

"Is the trace working?" He turned to look at the diminutive computer wizard.

"Yes, it does not look like she noticed it." He stared at Miko's phone as Optimus bent slowly down to give it to him.

"What happened?"

"Something I did not plan," He shook his head.

"We will get her back," Raf said with absolute certainty. "We'll beat them."

"I..." Optimus frowned. "I did not know that Miko and Jack were fighting."

"They were?" Raf's own frown deepened with uncertainty. "This will kill him."

"Get the ground bridge operational and our systems back online," Optimus commanded. "And strength the firewalls."

"Just like we planned," Rafael shook his head, ready to go help Ratchet.


	5. Chapter 5

**Changes**

She leaned down onto him. Metal touched cool metal as they both were sprawled out on the steel block that served as a Cybertronian bed. Her spiny probes still twitched against his exposed spark chamber, even as they had come to a sort of calm. The energon re-filler was plugged into them both as their mental systems cycled through their individual reboots. Effectively, she dozed lightly in his great arms, not hurrying off this time, not abandoning him for dead.

In recent months, something broke inside both of them as they gave up on the dreams of dominating a species barely evolved into being both bipedal and sentient. Airachnid had talked about eradication, but even Megatron was patient to explain that for her to truly enjoy their annihilation, she would never have the time. Kill a billion, and humanity's still grown by two billion more. Their future, and their destruction lay within their own hands as Unicron's get.

And home...home was a spoiled husk that only served to remind him of every mistake he'd made in trusting the librarian that ultimately lead them to a long, destructive war.

Once, she had reminded him that a King needed a Queen, and he had rebuffed her efforts to slide into that place. It had been too dangerous for him to risk such a rare gem and weakness as Airachnid with allies like Starscream and Shockwave constantly looking for the place to rip out his coolant line...

Now, he was little more than a gladiator with a grudge- Who would begrudge him if he spent his cycles with his favorite pleasure femme again? In her own disappointment, she had been quick to move back to his berth.

"Airid," he purred, his name for her. If he did not know he was incapable, he would have thought it to be loving.

She leaned up, putting her vocalizer to his spark. A probe shot out a few millimeters, causing a slight electrical exchange. "Megatronus," she purred his name. Their circuits began to come online again. "Are you pleased, my Lord?" There was still mischief in her voice, a whore's taunt. She had become so ready, so constantly willing that it worried him.

He chuckled rather than rebuke her. She had more than ample opportunity to deliver the fatal blow. His hand cupped her triangular face. Carefully, his thumb stroked sharp edges of one of the horns of her crown. It traced down to her lips. She vented a soft, warm burst of air on the tip before he gripped her chin.

"We could do this until we deactivate and rust." He said, part of him wished for it. It would be a fitting end. At least, he knew he would be having more fun than Optimus would be when they returned to Well of All Sparks.

"We could," She said, moving to straddle the much larger bot. She'd given all of his ports a workout with all of hers. "However, I am certain our-your minions will begin to plot while we continue to play. Someone will begin to smell the flowing energon soon."

"Is that someone, you?" Megatron asked.

Her palms pushed into his chest plating, closing his spark chamber. "I have only ever asked to witness the Autobot's destruction at your side, Megatronus. With you to protect me, it is the safest of places."

"Still more interested in self-preservation?" He wondered.

"Call it what you will," She said. Her own chamber still lay open, slit from her chest all the way down to her groin. It still glowed an ethereal yellow light. She smiled, admiring Megatron's face, cast in her own light. He should remember it, she thought. He only ever truly knew pleasure at her touch. She was more useful to him than any of the misfits assembled around him. The energon recharger slithered away from her before her eight spindly legs landed on the floor, pushing her off of him.

"What do you call it then?" He wondered, watching her. She only grinned back as she began to scuttle away.

Suddenly, he grabbed her, his own spark chamber sliding open. He pressed her body against his. Her head leaned back from instantaneous pleasure as their spark chambers met directly, electrical charges bounced between them as they passed electrons between each other. She cried out, her body quaking and shivering. This is what he did to her every time...

She'd forgotten the magnificence of it. It was a weakness she craved to indulge in. His glazed optics betrayed just how much he was enjoying the intensity of their union. Their chambers finally burst from a micro-explosion, pushing her away from him. "Megatronus," She purred with laughter. Her chamber slid shut with his. She leaned into him, lips centimeters from his. "Once, my taunts warranted a poem, but now?"

"You didn't like it?" He grin, a rumbling laugh of satisfaction coming from deep within.

"I prefer it, my Lord," she grinned, sitting up, beginning to feel the need for more energon. Her legs propped her on the floor again. This time, Megatron let her scuttle away back to the recharging station. He watched her. She watched him. It was always good to have a bot that knew when to take, when to give, and when to release. "However, I still have my favorites from your more youthful attempts tucked away."

His rumbling laugh filled the room again as he moved to finally stand up himself. "If the troops only knew..."

"Play for me, Megatronus," She smiled, wishing to hear his other abilities.

An old, Kaon baliset appeared from one of Megatron's compartments. It was a crude instrument commonly heard in the encampments of workers during their few hours away from the mines. It was made from a hollowed out piece of iron-ore, reshaped to amplify the vibrations from the taut mono-filament cabling salvaged from broken down machines.

Megatron plucked at it quietly, searching for an appropriate tune and verse from his memory. All that would come to mind were best for funerals, or about the folly of the Fallen when he struck out against his brothers and sister of the Thirteen.

She poured two tankers of fortified oil that she'd confiscated from ranks. It was good enough that she'd offered the soldier in question a deal that if he continued to keep making it for her, she would keep quiet on the source. So far, Megatron hadn't complained, and had consumed quite a bit of the stuff.

Slowly, she poured the tiniest amounts of oil down her vocalizer as she listened. Her optics shut off to better appreciate his intensity. His voice was somber and clear, more of a recitation than what humans would call singing. It stung her spark. She had once been the Queen of the Pits, queen to all the femmes that worked the gladiatorial arenas-and even the ones that worked the racing circuits. It was all gone now. Even Megatron has faced the facts. She wondered if even Optimus Prime had these moments.

Then suddenly, Megatron stopped at the sound of the comm beeping. It was an incessant beep, then there was the sound of metal scratching at the base of the door. She glanced at Megatron in askance. She frowned as he motioned for her to open it. Ravage bounded into the room, growling and whining. She'd never seen the barely self-aware pet do such a thing. It was usually quiet and subdued, more like Soundwave's coiled snake. It could only mean one thing...

"What is it?" Megatron asked, looking into the four legged, canine shaped bot's eyes. He looked at Airachnid. "He wants us to follow."

"Wouldn't Soundwave just-?" Her eyes widened. She'd stayed clear of the gladiator since returning to Megatron's bedchamber. She never trusted anyone that so readily turned other bots into slaves. (Well, not outside the recharge chamber, at least.)

Airachnid followed Megatron and Ravage to the bridge where Soundwave had been working. She looked down, seeing the Decepticon on the floor, twitching.

"Where is Knock-Out?" Megatron asked, sounding-Airachnid was almost surprised to hear Megatron sound remotely concerned about another bot, let alone the near pain she heard in his voice.

"I will find out and signal him," She scuttled to the monitors. She took all the different perspectives in. It was a confused mess of multiple angles. She frowned. "Well, Knock-Out is with Starscream."

"What?" Megatron stood up, cold fury in his optics again. After putting Soundwave into a quick shutdown, he raced to the computers. He slammed his hand into the console.

"And it appears Thundercracker and Skywarp," Airachnid smirked, shaking her head. What has he been up to now?

There was one different view in a corner. "You'll love this-" She looked up into Ironhide's ugly face before the signal suddenly went into static. She reversed the feed to see what that one had been watching. "Looks like the Autobot's had a little accident while we were slagging."

"Yes," Megatron's head twitched between all the views in indecision. He was not sure where to go first...who to kill first!

"And Swindle's ship is coming in for a landing," She said, taking control of the situation. Her eyes swept as she absorbed. "Nothing like getting all the boys together on one planet for a fight."

"But Soundwave, what happened to Soundwave?" Megatron asked.

"I do believe he spread himself too thin for his processor to handle," She said. "The bond between he and the creepy twins is broken. Obviously ravage is not handling it well. And I believe Ironhide just took care of Laserbeak." (She owed him a barrel of oil for that one.)

"And all this?" Megatron waved his hand in front of it.

Her hands danced competently over the controls. "I am handling it now." Suddenly, the connections went dead. "It seems he used nanites to control a battalion of humans. Clever, but too much at one time."

She looked down at the bot. "Should I drag Knock-Out here?"

"No," Megatron grimaced before a malevolent grin danced on his face. "I will put this treason down. Good of Swindle to arrive, we might need a few new recruits on this pathetic rock to replace the ones I am about to crush."

"Very well, my Lord," She said, wondering if she should use the opportunity to put Soundwave out of his misery. Or stick a probe into her and find out what she's really made of...

"Soundwave is to remain functioning while I am away," Megatron commanded.

"Of course, my Lord," She smiled, giving him the slightest of bows. "Until your return, my King."

His rumbling laugh filled the chamber with renewed purpose as he strode down the hall. She had to admire his swagger when there was killing to be done. She cackled herself as she gathered Soundwave up with her back legs to drag him to the medical bay. Megatron said functioning, but it did not mean she couldn't leave him with a few scratches to have buffed out.

OoOoOoOoO

"This is great," Jack shook his head in disbelief at Rumble and Frenzy as they walked closer. Slowly, he lowered his blaster while the other bots continued to look down on them, weapons still ready. "Surrender?"

"Yeah," Rumble looked to Frenzy, just to be sure.

"We ain't got a problem with any of you," Frenzy said.

"I believe it would be the sporting thing to take them at their word," Prowl said finally after studying them both. Something in their optics was clearly different from the last time he had faced them. Nothing seemed to be lurking behind them. They were not being controlled, or at least, nudged by Soundwave.

"Weapons," Arcee said. Carefully, they put their blasters down, their human disguises sliding away.

"What about their other ones?" Prowl wondered.

Frenzy smirked. "What about them? What about yours?" 

"We are not surrendering," Prowl reminded them.

"But we are," Rumble said. "Promises have to count for something."

"Not very much," Elita replied, bending down to get a better look at them. She studied them both like she might study a new scrape of rust on her fender. "I've only heard you lot promise to kill us."

"This is great," Jack sighed. With every glance, he could see the speck on the horizon becoming bigger and bigger. They really did not have the time for this. Whoever it was, they were taking so long with their landing that there was probably a live stream on the Internet. He could clearly tell it was a ship of some kind. Rumble and Frenzy were just a distraction.

"Why are we arguing with them?" He asked. "They've surrendered, either take them prisoner or let them run off. I'm sure Megatron would want to know they turned traitor when they were caught."

"The boy is right," Prowl said. "We don't have time for two minicons right now."

"Fine, right," Elita straightened herself, casting a quick glare at Arcee. Her pet was getting out of line. She ejected two tracking beacons from a compartment on her arm. They started to beep slowly. She looked both of them in the optics sternly. "They'll explode if you take them off, or if I want them too. Understood?"

Frenzy and Rumble both looked at each other before looking back at Elita-One. They both nodded slowly with comprehension.

"We should let base know," Jack said on a secure comm to Arcee. "Maybe Bumblebee and Hot Rod can pick them up?" He thought about their situation. "Get those bombs off too."

"Yeah, good idea," Arcee replied in his ear. "Get a hold of them."

"Wait!" Jack said, holding his hand up. He glanced at Rumble and Frenzy before deciding to just be out with it. "I can't get anyone at base."

"Slipstream," Prowl said with an increasing frown. His hand went to his chin as he considered it. "Optimus requested we not deactivate all of her abilities."

"So...?" Jack looked to Arcee.

"So it sounds like the base's communications were taken down." She shook her head. "And since we haven't heard from them in a while, probably the ground bridge too."

"What game could he be playing?" Elita asked.

"With Optimus?" Arcee shrugged. Her optics became hard set as she met the older femme's optics. "We still have a mission to complete."

"Autobots," Elita stood up straighter. "Very well."

"Wait, wait!" Rumble said. "What about us?"

"Fine then," Elita looked at Jack. "You, watch them."

"What? Where?" Jack's eyed widened. "How?" He was pretty sure that even though they were all nearly the same size, they were still stronger, faster, and with special abilities. All he had was a blaster and a portable energy shield wrapped on his arm.

"No, I will stay-" Prowl started.

"No, I've decided," Elita-One said. "Now that we do not know when back up will arrive, we must not take risks with an inexperienced human." She looked back up at the ship. "And that is a Decepticon's shuttle."

"Have you guessed which one, yet?" Prowl wondered.

"Swindle," Elita's mouth became hard set.

"This is not to be a vendetta mission," Prowl reminded her. "We are to recon and report."

"Ri-" Arcee looked at Prowl. What in the hell had she dragged Jack into? "Right, exactly."

"Swindle's alive?" Rumble said, finally looking up.

"Very much so, little spy-bot," Elita looked down on them both. Her finger hovered over a button on her arm. "Just remember what I told you."

"I think I should have the stasis ray," Prowl said, watching Elita carefully.

Arcee glanced at Prowl, ::What's going on, Master.::

::The usual,:: Prowl reminded her. ::She's a few bolts short of a full motor when it comes to the Decepticon merchant of death.::

::Evidently,:: She could not believe how this was playing out.

::The two of you will do fine,:: He winked at Arcee.

::What?:: Arcee's optics widened with horror. 

"Give me the stasis ray," Prowl decided, straightening himself up as well. "I will keep watch on these two with Jack. You and Arcee will monitor the situation at the landing."

"Is that so?" Elita asked, stepping forward, closer to Prowl.

"Exactly," he said, pushing his chest platting out. "You might be mated with our leader, but in his absence..."

"You've never pulled rank before," Elita scowled.

"I've never needed too on a planet before, Captain," He reminded her, palm out, waiting patiently. "We will watch the road for you."

He smiled, looking into Rumble and Frenzy's eyes again. "I've got some questions for our new friends."

"Whatever you want to know," Frenzy smiled back. He glanced at Rumble.

"Very well, Commander Prowl," Elita slapped the weapon into his palm. She looked at Arcee. "Transform, young one. We've got a ship to meet."

"Fine," Arcee leaped off, transforming, hitting the pavement with her wheels spinning. She rocketed off in the directions they've been travelling. "Hey Jack," She whispered into the comm.

He frowned, whispering himself. "Yeah?"

"Keep trying base, I don't like any of this."

"Met too," he said. "Be careful. She's got that look you get around your special friend."

"I know... Hey Jack?"

"Arcee?" He asked.

"I love you."

"I love you too," he whispered into the comms as he watched her speed off with Elita One hot on her tail.

They disappeared into the dust as he looked up at Prowl. "So Swindle, bad?"

"Depends," Prowl shrugged. He glanced at Rumble and Frenzy, waving the gun back towards the dirt road. "That way."

"Now, Jack," he pointed towards a large rock on the side of the highway. "Keep watch, and report anything suspicious headed their or our way. I need to interrogate these two."

"Sure," he sighed, pulling out a bottle of water he had tucked away in a pocket. He took a long sip before putting it away. He grabbed his blaster, putting his visor back down. The night came alive in green hues with his night vision. He settled in to wait.

OoOoOoOoO

Their engines roared, echoing down the hallway as Hot Rod and Bumblebee raced through the tunnels that lead into the Autobot base. Hot Rod's sensors detected they'd travelled a quarter klik through solid rock all around them before the doors slid open. He slowed, letting Bumblebee finally take point. Not only was it Bumblebee's home he was entering, but something didn't seem right. He would have expected an angry communique blasted over the band from one of the elders telling them to slow down, which he would have happily ignored to egg on the goldenbot in a bit of delinquency, but nothing...

He leaped, narrowly avoiding the wrong end of Kup's both transformed, landing safely behind the old bot. The great screens on the computers were dark as Ratchet was working under the consoles.

"So what'd we miss?" Hot Rod asked tentatively.

"Oh," Ratchet poked out and shook his head. "An opportunity for you to be useful."

"Right, lads," Kup lowered his blaster. "We had a close encounter with Slipstream."

"I thought she was locked down?" Hot Rod asked, leaning against dead console. A human sized computer buzzed, cables snaking to some kind of computer back into what Hot Rod assumed was the remains of Teletraan.

"Well, not good enough," Kup scowled.

"Hot Rod, Bumblebee," Optimus Prime walked into the room with a much smaller human than he had seen before.

"Optimus," Hot Rod asked. "What's going on?"

"Something not entirely according to plan," Optimus said, looking to Ratchet.

"And if you'd only told me what that plan was beforehand-" Ratchet started before Optimus raised a hand.

"I would have, but it needed to be believable, old friend," Optimus replied before looking to Rafael.

"We've got access to Teletraan again," Raf said, frowning. "However, it's limited. There doesn't seem to be a trace of anything in our systems, but we should run a code audit to be sure."

"Very good," Optimus said. 

Raf looked up at Optimus, "They've found the tracer on Slipstream, but not the one on Miko."

Bumblebee made a loud buzz of surprise as Ratchet guffawed at the same time. "Miko?"

"I did not intend for Skywarp to take her, nor did I intend for her to be close enough for her mobile phone to be the point of entry."

"It was supposed to be this one," Raf said. "It's clean, just out of the package, and completely disposable. I only just activated it."

"And not riddled with as much information about us as Miko has?" Ratchet shook his head, looking down.

"Wait." Hot Rod held his own hand up. "You didn't know about Slipstream and her brothers, did you?"

"Contingency plans, Hot Rod," Optimus said. "All contingency plans."

"For what?" Ratchet wondered, his frown deep with worry. "I cannot believe they have her."

"But the bug I put on her is working," Raf said with a hint of hope.

"Bug?" Ratchet let it sink in.

"My idea," Raf said. "She's always getting into trouble, it was bound to happen one day."

"And you went along with it?" Ratchet's optics widened skeptically as he looked to their leader.

"I did not plan for this to happen, and her retrieval is our priority," Optimus said. He looked back at Raf. "Where is she?"

"The Moon, I think," he looked down, squinting at his screen.

"Sounds like Skywarp's range," Kup said in agreement.

"But inside the Moon, not on it." He looked up at Optimus, "Miko doesn't have her helmet."

"I know, Rafael," Prime shook his head. "But we must know it in our sparks that her life force shows with the beacon."

"I..." Raf swallowed. "I know."

"So-" Hot Rod said, folding his arms. He glanced at Bee who seemed to be in agreement. "How do we rescue her?"

"Well, knocking on the door with the boom stick is out of the question," Kup chuckled, moving his cigar to the other side of his mouth.

"Ratchet," Prime said. "Can we get the ground bridge to work for those coordinates?"

"We'll be pushing it," He frowned. "But we will have to wait. I do not want to leave the others completely stranded."

"Wait." Raf sighed. "Jack will want to help."

"I know, Raphael," Optimus agreed. "But sometimes, in war, we cannot be apart of every mission. We all have our roles to play."

"Aye, that is true," Kup said. "So we see what Swindle is up to."

"And his ship works," Hot Rod smirked. "We know that much, and he still owes us a ship. "

"I like where this is going, kid," Kup chuckled again. "Keep talking."

OoOoOoOoO

Miko's eyes opened slowly as she came to in the dim light. She felt lighter, almost weightless. The back of her head hurt-so did her ass-she realized with a quiet groan. She was on a cold, hard, metallic floor. There was a human talking, as well as the unmistakable sound of a 'bot's vocalizer. Carefully, she held her forehead. Each movement made her feel like she might go floating off towards the high ceiling. Her head pounded, and she groaned to think about smacking into it. She tried to think back. What happened?

She had been storming her way through the Autobot base, angry, hitting things whenever she was certain no one would hear. She felt like she could only do two things: hit things very hard until her knuckles bled, or rub herself raw. She couldn't bring herself to torture herself like that, so her pent up rage and frustration was inflicted on the walls. She just knew she did not want to be in her room. Everywhere she looked, it was a reminder of what Jack had done to her-how he just tossed her aside. After all, she saw him first.

She hadn't admitted it to anyone, but she'd been waiting for him that day when that bike road into their lives. He was just the only one at school that didn't make fun of her for being different. Normally, she handled it all the foolishness with her usual, aggressively cheerful demeanor, but Jack Darby was different. He didn't talk to her like she was some sort of Anime stereotype. The couple times they'd exchanged words- She was careful not to shake her head too hard.-How could she have been so stupid, so patient? How long did she have to wait before he realized that Sierra wasn't meant for him? _How long until I figure it out too?_

Of course, he was probably stuck on himself at the time and in his little world. She also liked that hair of his- It was silly, she knew it. Every few feet while she ranted to no one who could hear, she sent his phone another message, another curse filled abuse. His silence was telling.

Normally, she could count on Bulk to cheer her up, but after this... She just did not want to be around any of them. Especially since Arcee was always so near him, touching him. It wasn't just the human persona she had, it was the bot herself. She would never have smothered him like Arcee would. Miko knew should have just said something on the phone that morning before Arcee moved in.

Her phone had started beeping in the corridor when she tried to send one more message. Then suddenly, it completely spazzed out, flashing garbled images. Startled, Miko looked up as the spokes on one of the old vaults started to open. She froze, unable to run. Her eyes widened.

"Well, I should thank you," Slipstream said, snatching her up by her arm, nearly jerking it out of its socket. Miko screamed... There'd been no space bridge opened. Optimus had his energon blade out, which meant he really meant business with whichever 'Con was on the wrong end of it. And then they were engulfed in energy and she was out.

She closed her eyes, trying to listen to the bot and the human. She could only guess she wasn't on Earth. She certainly was not on Cybertron. She breathed in deeply. The air tasted fake, recycled. Where the hell had she been taken?

"You could have a concussion. Don't get up," The human voice said. Miko opened her eyes slowly. She tried to focus. but all she saw was a blurry lab coat and the outline of a human woman.

Miko swallowed hard. She'd never felt so hopelessly screwed. "Where am I?"

"Careful." The woman lifted Miko up slowly. She stood on wobbly feet.

"I believe you humans just call it a 'Moon." A bot's voice said. It was high and screechy, with something in her tone that reminded her of Starscream, like every word was a melodious challenge.

"The Moon?" Miko whispered in Japanese. She swallowed hard, struggling to get a grip on things. She let the human lead her to a chair. "Water."

"This is not helpful," the woman said. "She does not speak English, or is refusing too."

Miko started to frown before her eyes widened. Her eyes focused and she saw the woman in the lab coat properly. She grinned, leaning forward. It was like a dimmer had been completely reversed in her mind and she was blaring at full luminescence. "Moon, water. Bitch. Understand that?"

"Why yes, I believe I do," The woman smiled back and looked up at Slipstream. "I believe she will do."

"Do?" Slipstream asked. "What are you going to do her, Doctor?"

"Do any of you really think I am insane enough to keep experimenting on myself? Human trials will be necessary."

Metal cuffs slapped around Miko's wrists, holding her in place on the chair. Miko started to struggle, trying to rip herself out of the chair. The woman ignored her and glanced longingly towards the empty Cybertronians shells that stood stoically in the room. They were clearly not on. There was not even a glint of light coming from where there spark chambers should have been, They looked like birds, or like airplanes twisted into the shape of a person. They looked like Starscream or Slipstream.

"Of course, not," Slipstream said finally, catching Miko's eye. There was something in her optics-something Miko wasn't sure about. She wore the purple mask, but she did not sound like the crazed, malevolence many of the other Decepticon's spoke with. If anything, she sounded like a 'Con like Breakdown who only had scores to settle and a job to do.

"Now, if only your brothers would bring a couple more test subjects, and I will be ready." Adler added.

"Starscream approved of this abomination?" Slipstream said, finally speaking up.

"Approves?" Adler cackled. "These are based on much of his own engineering and theory. This is what he wants. So we can truly be together."

"Together?" Slipstream's optic's widened and looked at Miko with horror.

"Starscream?" She asked.

"What..." Miko stammered. She ignored the less important and creepy implications of Adler's comments. "What are you going to do to me?"

Adler picked up one of the empty spark chambers that were sitting on her work table. "Girl, I am going to try to put you in one of these."

"You can do that?" 

Adler shrugged and put it back down. "If I knew that I can, I'd already have scanned myself and I would be in one of them. A test on you would not be necessary, now would it?"

"Oh shit," Miko struggled with her bonds again. She looked at Slipstream, a sinking feeling that she was not going to get out of this one. "You can't let her do this."

"Why not, little human?"

Miko looked down, her mind racing away from the shock. 'Cons had been trying to kill her for years, why would this one help her. "You just can't...It's an abomination."

"Well, if the Wing Commander orders it," Slipstream shrugged, looking at Adler. "Who am I to stop it?"

"Who are you to, precisely," Adler laughed. "If Starscream commands."

Slipstream scowled before leaning over Adler. "But he isn't here right now, and you are so small we could have an accident. I don't have full motor control, do I?"

"Just an injured little bird, aren't you?" Adler asked, her smile grew brighter, her eyes bigger with amusement.

Miko saw Slipstream optics focus as if she were focusing on something. She stared at Adler as the doctor stroked the back of her own neck. "Don't try, it'll give you a nasty headache. Star warned me about you."

The Seeker flexed her gauntlet, straining, "Harm that human and I'll..."

"You'll what?" Adler barked back, holding her hand out. Cables that lined her fingertips started to glow. "What will you do? Go against your brother?"

"Leave Scream out of this," Slipstream shrieked, advancing on the human. Energy shot from Adler's hands, engulfing Slipstream's body. She dropped to the hard ground with a loud clank.

"Good thing they're heavy to begin with," Adler said, turning her attention to Miko.

Miko tried not to meet the scientist's eyes, but she felt forced to look into them. She had never met a human so...so...so thoroughly insane, but completely rational. She tried to struggle some more, wanting to scream.

She wished Bulkhead was there, or even Optimus. One them had to burst through the door just in time. After all, they always did. Even Fowler did sometimes. She would even settle for Jack and Arcee. She felt something wrapping itself around her head. It was soft, like she was being covered in a jell filled pillow.

Something injected itself into her spine and the lights went out again. She started to cry, even as the device begin to worm its way around her face. She convulsed, cut off from oxygen. She stopped thrashing, slipping away and out as the machine turned on...

OoOoOoOoO 

In the distance, Arcee thought she heard the unmistakable sound of Seeker engines racing through the night and covering the area. Her frame shivered with the thought. On a good day, Starscream could be deadly enough, but Thundercracker and Skywarp, and the rest of the top echelon of the Cybertronian air command were devastating.

She led Elita, beginning to slow at the first sign things were going wrong. There was a body. she flashed her lights and stopped. Her Sadie projection climbed off the bike body just in case.

::What are you doing?:: Elita asked, stopping behind her and remaining in her alt-form.

::This isn't good,:: Arcee bent down to give the human a closer look. His thermal readings showed that he was cooling. Just to be certain, like she'd seen on television, she reached down and put two fingers to his throat. She waited and listened, almost straining. She did not hear, and could not feel the familiar beating and movement of blood.

She looked over his clothes, scanning it through her collected databases. He wore green Army fatigues, but not the real ones like Fowler's men. She took a closer look: night vision goggles, electro-magnetic pulse rifle- She touched her hand to the Kevlar, pushing into it. The tech finally gave it away and she frowned.

::Who is it?:: Elita asked. ::What is it?::

::MECH,:: Arcee said. ::No signs of trauma. No sign of anything that killed him.:: She lifted the head, looking for blood. His hair was matted from where it smacked against the ground.

::MECH?:: Elita asked.

Arcee sent over several data files collected over the past couple years during their encounters. She ran a finger along the human's skull. She felt something... strange. It was if she could sense Cybertronian tech.

::Every couple months, they try to get one of us alone in attempt to nab one of us to strip us down for our biology.:: She explained before she grasped the head and smacked it hard into the pavement. She squeezed, working along the fault lines of the skull, her fingers turning into blades to remove the skull. The skin and bone finally came away and she frowned. She wanted to cringe, but how was it any worse than how they ripped out Breakdown's optic, or so willing wanted to use her for scrap when Airachnid was done with her? How they put June or Jack in danger so easily, their own kind, in their pursuit of power?

::What is it?:: Elita asked. Arcee sent her images of the black tracery of nanites through the brain. ::Is that what they're made of?:: Arcee ignored her look of disgust towards all the organic matter.

::Yes,:: Arcee's frown deepened. ::Cybertronian mind control. Ever seen this before?::

::Shockwave's experiments in combiners,:: Elita said. ::It'd had been used on femmes before too.::

::I thought so.:: Arcee's holoform climbed back on her body. They two merged again before she started off again.

They drove on, passing more lifeless corpses and vehicles driven off the road. A few appeared to be turned over. She stopped again at the lead car. It had rolled off the side of the highway and was in a ditch.

::This is creepy,:: Arcee admitted. Rather than a lot of the specialized gear MECH used, it appeared that on this run they attempted to blend right in as the regular military. Arcee had to wonder how many of them were regular Army in their day jobs, and an evil genius' minions in their spare time. _Anything is possible on this planet._

Sadie climbed back off and the holoform started searching. She bent down, seeing the MECH leader in the passenger's seat of the Humvee. The holoform flickered off and Arcee transformed. She bent down, her face filling the whole of the window. She smirked when she discovered he was still breathing. "Internal injuries, not looking good, Silas."

His head flopped over to face her. "Arcee," he spat out. She could hear blood gurgling.

"What happened here?" She asked. "All of your men are dead, and you're still alive."

"Don't know," He coughed. It sounded to her like he was fighting, and had been fighting something for some time. Probably the mind control. She doubted that most of his men could handle having it suddenly switched off. It probably wasn't as enmeshed in him as it was the others. "There was suddenly a voice in our heads, and I couldn't..."

She could feel something in the dark behind her as they were suddenly illuminated by headlights. Elita now stood behind her. "We need to go, Arcee."

"Yes, we do," She looked at Silas, leaning in closer. "I hope you have your organ donor card, so you can be used for spare parts." A blade flicked out of her gauntlet and she plunged it into Silas's neck. She cleanly severed the bone and tendons. She pulled it away and smiled as his head rolled into his lap.

"Was that necessary?" Elita asked, transforming again.

"Yes," Arcee stalked away, turning long enough to fire several blasts from her pulse cannons. As the Humvee exploded, she leaped and transformed, taking off down the road. "Look at the pictures again. Whoever did this...I owe them a favor."

She shot off into the night, lights off as they faced the landing. "I'll try base again."

OoOoOoOoO

Prowl crossed his legs and looked at both of the mini's. He frowned, having heard the story twice before from them. "One more time, from the top."

"You sound like a cop," Rumble said.

"Pretend I am," Prowl said, coaxing the small fire he had burning back to life."When there are so few of us left, we must all perform many jobs. Now, if you would..."

"Soundwave sent us out to investigate where Knock Out was going." Frenzy lit another one of their cigarettes from the camp fire. Being around the wise old bot made him nervous. "We was just doing what we were told, then Thundercracker comes along and drops that sonic nightmare on us. They knew who we was and left us for dead."

"And Soundwave," Rumble added. "Something must have happened to him, or he just stopped worrying about us. He was there, then he wasn't."

"That must have been distressing," Prowl wondered.

"We failed him," Rumble replied. "Screw'em."

"Why now?" Prowl asked.

"Why keep giving the Decepticon's a chance to kill us when they don't even respect us?" Frenzy asked.

"One would wonder why you were involved with him to begin with."

"Yeah, well..." Rumble stubbed out the end of his smoke. There weren't going to be too many more left soon. "Not many options for mini's on Cybertron. Soundwave and Megatron offered us a chance to be something back in the Pits."

"It all comes back to that," Prowl agreed. "I am certain Optimus will allow you an opportunity to make amends, given that you were never fully in control of your own mind."

::Prowl,:: Arcee said over the comms.

::My student?:: Prowl asked.

::Seems like someone has been attempting to control humans, and they were all suddenly killed.::

::Well, that is very bad,:: He replied. ::Soundwave.::

::Who else?:: Arcee asked.

::On this planet, I don't know,:: Prowl agreed. ::But he is the most likely suspect. The twins are very much in their own heads again. If Soundwave over did his connections, it could

have overtaxed him.::

::That explains some things,:: Arcee agreed.

:Keep pressing on,:: Prowl agreed. ::These two must face Optimus.::

Prowl smiled and leaned forward, "Not half a klik away is a group of soldiers all dead. You two don't happen to know anything about it?"

The mini's exchanged glances. "We saw them drive by."

"They seem to be affected by Soundwave," Prowl suggested.

"Well, he did have his fingers in a lot of circuitry," Frenzy agreed.

Rumble smirked, "Well, one day, he did have us leave a couple packages for MECH to find..."

"Do you know what was in those packages?" Prowl asked.

"Why would he tell us?" Frenzy asked

"Why would he need to tell us if we were just going to do it anyway?" Rumble agreed.

"Hubris is a powerful motivator, it seems to humans and Cybertronians alike," Prowl leaned back.

"Yeah," Frenzy agreed, not sure if he understood.

"An' beware Mini's bringing gifts," Rumble smirked, glancing at Frenzy.

"So true," Prowl said, finally standing above them. "I wonder what else you two know..."

"It's yours for some energon and a warm berth," Frenzy agreed.

"We shall see," Prowl agreed. "We shall see."

"What about the bombs?" Rumble asked.

"Turn around, and I'll see what I can do," Prowl frowned. He could not allow them to be destroyed on a whim, or by accident if Elita made a mistake with her weapons. Femmes could be a cruel bunch, but so could mini's. It was always a shame how their society treated each other.


	6. Chapter 6

Awakening

"Finally," Ratchet said when they were able to get the communications up. For the most part, all their systems were running again quicker than he expected. However, it was never quick enough when delays meant that someone could be in dire need of repairs. Sometimes, he had to remind Optimus that he was their medic, not their computer technician (even if for a Cybertronian, it was nearly the same thing). Still, he considered it remarkable that only an hour had past since they had sent Arcee and the others into the ground bridge.

"Finally?" Raf shook his head. "This is a miracle it works at all. Whatever Teletraan uses for an operating system, it is extremely robust."

"I want everyone hailed," Optimus said, striding into the room.

"Sure," Raf looked at the computer, blinking. He swallowed hard. The only thing that kept him from thinking about how much they were failing Miko as each minute passed.

"Rafael," Optimus said. "We all have our jobs to do."

"I...know," He looked up at the main screen that had come on. He counted them all lucky that rather than let Mrs. Darby sit and wait for Jack, Agent Fowler took her out to dinner.

"Ratchet!" Several voices said as the comms starting coming back on.

"I take it everyone has news," Ratchet frowned, bringing up faces to match each bot.

"Agent Fowler?" Optimus asked. His voicemail played in response. He frowned, looking down, but his services were no doubt best left with Mrs. Darby. He will be needed in time.

"Optimus," Arcee said. "There are bodies, lots of MECH bodies...Silas is among them. It appears they were controlled by Soundwave."

"That concurs with the testimony Rumble and Frenzy have offered," Prowl's agreed.

"Rumble and Frenzy?" Bulkhead said. "We...uhh...Laserbeak is broken."

"Really?" Kup laughed, smirking, nudging Hot Rod.

"So Soundwave is somehow out of the picture?" Ratchet asked.

"It appears to be the case," Prowl said.

"Autobots," Optimus Prime said interrupting the discussion. "We have a situation. Slipstream was evacuated by Skywarp with Miko as a hostage."

"What?" Bulkhead said with a loud bang that sounded like the Ark took on another large dent.

"What?" Jack's voice said as well, breaking into the conversation. "Where is Miko?" Optimus frowned at the pain and panic in his voice.

"On the Moon, Jack," Raf said, looking down, watching her signal pulse.

"We are mounting a rescue operation," Optimus said. "And we will need each of your assistance."

"What's the plan?" Arcee asked, determination in her voice.

OoOoOoOoO

"Well, you heard the bot," Jack stood in front of Prowl and looked at Rumble and Frenzy. "If you're serious, walk through and turn yourself in."

The ground bridge was swirling behind them, waiting for the like a great maw. Rumble looked back into it, suddenly very aware of each face of each Autobot he'd slagged in his long career as a Decepticon stooge. He shuffled his feet and glanced at Frenzy. It was a long list, and one he used to be glad to say was longer than his partner-in-crime's. Suddenly, he was not so sure it was something to brag about.

"Turn around and start walking," Prowl said, gesturing. Slowly, both smaller bots did. Tentatively, they took a step forward.

"So what's the worst that could happen?" Frenzy wondered.

"We get both get blastered the moment we step through?" Rumble wondered.

"Right," Frenzy replied, staring into the abyss. He thought he could see something on the other side, just waiting for them to step out.

"Oh, to the Pit with this," Prowl said, stepping forward and picking them both up by the arm. He tossed both of them through the gate like sacks of trash being picked up on garbage day. He looked down at Jack. "We did not have time for trepidation."

"No argument here," Jack agreed, glad he had done something.

"We have a scheduled to keep," Prowl said, transforming. "I believe I can trust you to ride without too much trouble?"

"Uh." Jack blinked before straddling Prowl. He was a slightly bigger bike than he was used to, seemingly with more horsepower. He rumbled to life. Jack had never considered doing this with any other bot other than Arcee. He leaned forward and slid down his visor. "We're going to have to."

"Excellent," Prowl said, leaping off to follow Arcee and Elita's trail.

OoOoOoOoO

"Nice of you to arrive," Arcee said as Prowl crept up behind her and Elita as they overlooked Knock Out. They had been watching him for nearly twenty minutes clean and file his digits, occasionally glancing at the sky while Starscream stood by.

"Well, you know," Prowl smirked. "Had to get rid of our new friends."

"What'd you do?"

"They're on their way," Jack said, climbing up to get a look himself. "That's all you need to know."

"You would think someone would just interdict him in the sky," Prowl wondered.

"He's setting up shop," Elita said, frown on her face. Her optics were steely. "I'm sure he has some locals ready to swoop in and make some deals."

"Precisely," Prowl agreed. His optics narrowed. Skywarp and Thundercracker were flanking the Con's shuttle.

"Or Megatron," Arcee suggested, pointing towards the sky.

"Megatron," Jack sighed.

"Fearless leader," Knock Out looked up, nudging Starscream.

"Megatron!" Starscream clenched his fists, launching himself into the air. He transformed in a snap, folding himself in half, his afterburners already roaring. He fired two sidewinder missiles before engaging with his blasters. Thundercracker and Skywarp broke off their approach to join the fight. Skywarp flashed in the dark, appearing on the other side of Megatron.

The Decepticon leader rocked back and forth in flight, either racing to Starscream or from Skywarp and Thundercracker.

"I wonder if he ever considered this possibility?" Prowl wondered aloud as the Autobots watched. Swindle's ship started to touchdown.

"This really isn't going to plan," Jack said as the blaster fire in the sky was arcing.

"When does it ever?" Arcee asked even as the laughter started. Her optics widened. "Everyone, get down!"

"What?" Jack said, stopping low. Still he managed to look up to watch.

Megatron had transformed, a manic glee in his glowing optics. Thundercracker had transformed as well, firing his blaster as he hovered closer. The laughter was coming from the blue seeker as something started to thud in the atmosphere, as if something was being pulled into him.

"Do you yield, Lord?" Starscream asked sardonically, bowing in mid-air. Another blast from his sidewinders landed square on the Decepticon symbol on Megatron's chest. Megatron chuckled, brushing away the wreckage as it bounced away. The pulsing grew louder, and louder until Thundercracker unleashed his pulse weapon from his cockpit. Megatron met it full on in a fury. It pushed him back by inches, but his hover jets managed to hold him in the air.

"You think I did not prepare for each of you in turn?" Megatron asked. "After spending the vorns with you under my command? Do you think I was that foolish of a fighter?"

He fired his cannon towards Thundercracker. The seeker transformed, launching himself even higher before the blast could connect. He unleashed another volley of blaster fire, strafing Megatron.

"Swindle's coming out," Elita said, keeping to the mission parameters and watching the ship.

"Probably to place a few bets with Knock-" Prowl started, noticing the 'Con to have disappeared.

"Care to wager?" Knock Out asked, now standing behind them on the ridge.

"On what?" Arcee asked, looking up. If he'd meant business, he'd have already started firing. "Looks like an Autobot win-win to me."

"Isn't that always the way when the children start their fighting. Surprised the Big-O hasn't rushed in to save Megatron so he could be the one to do the job."

"Or Soundwave to bust him out of the jam," Arcee crossed her arms, levelling her optics on Knock Out.

"Knock Out," Elita grimaced, pointing her blasters. "I should take you offline here and now."

"But you won't, so don't try," He looked under his digits again before pointing up. "Because blaster fire will only draw the wrong kind of attention." He paused and smirked.

"Here for the market?" He glanced at Jack before looking back to Arcee. "Or looking to trade?"

Jack sighed, folding his own arms. This was getting tedious, he thought before glancing around. "Fuck off."

"Another word, another move, and I use your back as a silencer," Prowl growled in Knock Out's audial.

"Is that so, old man?" Knock Out chuckled.

"Well, isn't this a reception. All this because I decide to visit this rock again?" A human asked, walking up, wearing aviator sunglasses and green army fatigues. He was half a head shorted than Jack.

"I see the scraplet made it this far with some new toys," Arcee bent down to look at him, reaching inside the hologram, grasping the projector. She crushed it inside her fist.

The thumping started again in the sky amongst the blaster fire. There was another blast in the sky. Jack frowned, watching. If the Seekers won, and Megatron lost, then Miko there was no recovering Miko. If Starscream and his brothers lost and Megatron won... He shook his head.

"Arcee, I love you," He whispered into the comm before jumping over the rock and landing feet first nearly two stories below. His augmented boots took most of the impact. This was sort of the plan, he thought before sprinting towards the ship. He took a shot at Swindle's body as he stood in place, shaking himself back into consciousness. His shot landed in his eyes. Jack took it as a small blessing the main door to the back of the shuttle was still open. He kept running as far in as he could.

"Jack!" Arcee yelled, firing on Swindle for cover. Elita and Arcee fired down at the Combaticon as he fired back on them both rather than running for the human. "Optimus," Arcee said into the communications. "Change of plan, Jack already has the shuttle."

Behind Swindle, between the shuttle, a ground bridge opened onto the battle scene. Hot Rod and Bumblebee stepped out, sprinting towards the shuttle themselves. Arcee gave a very human sigh when the door closed on the bots and Jack as it started to lift off.

"I would like to thank you for your cooperation," Prowl said, blaster still pointed at Knock Out. His energon scepter was safely in Prowl's free hand.

"Just keeping an eye on what matters," Knock Out replied.

"What!" Swindle looked up to see his ship hovering before starting to fly away. He dropped his blaster, putting his hands up. He looked up at the fight above them, still raging, neither side giving ground.

Megatron's energy shields were holding their own against Thundercracker's sonic boom. He was raked over by Skywarp's electrical blasts. And Starscream was firing missile after missile at their great leader.

But Megatron still maintained superiority. Starscream was leaking energon from the hits he had maintained. A piece of Thundercracker's wing was plummeting into the forest line. So far, only Skywarp remained unscathed as he hovered in the background. He grinned, watching the Wing Commander and his second do the most damage and receive it. He hovered in the air, waiting, letting the night's sky fill with the void.

He started small, each of his attacks on Megatron being part of a larger feint as he let his singularity grow inside him. His cockpit opened as he released it, giving birth.

"Oh slag," Arcee's optic's widened, realizing. "Oh slag, we need to go."

"What?" Elita looked around and then up, beginning to see the start of an event horizon.

"We need the ground bridge!" Arcee shouted into her comm.

Skywarp's miniature black hole grew and grew until finally it was large enough that the gravitational fields began absorbing blaster fire.

Megatron turned, realizing something was wrong. He met Skywarp's optics. His own widened, his brows going up. Skywarp cackled, giving his creation a nudge.

"Slag this," Arcee yelled as their ground bridge burst to life. Prowl fired his weapon into Knock Out, preferring to leave him rather than drag him back to base. All three Autobots ran to avoid the singularity. It was one of the toys of creation in the hands of a mad-bot. Arcee hadn't known he could do that.

"He can do that?" Starscream asked, his own optics wide with surprise as he looked at Thundercracker.

Megatron looked at Skywarp, deciding the best course of action. Still, the black hole grew in front of him. He had seen what the 'Con could and would do in his name. What would he do for his Wing Commander, or for himself? Megatron had to weigh it. He transformed, launching himself into the sky at high speed. A boom shook the tree tops as he made a tactical retreat.

"Should we give pursuit?" Thundercracker asked.

Starscream watched Megatron flee as Skywarp began to made the black hold shrink back and reenter his cockpit for warping. "Ah, and miss watching him go? Soon, it will be of little matter."

He glanced down at Knock Out and Swindle. Swindle was kicking Knock Out lightly, nudging him. Starscream's hover jets lowered him down to the ground. He touched the asphalt from the overlook's parking lot lightly before walking towards the two Combaticons and resting his hand against a picnic table.

"Autobot stasis ray," Starscream clarified. "Shouldn't be too long before he revives."

"They stole my ship," Swindle grimaced at Starscream.

"It is a good thing I know where they are going with it," Scream clarified. He lifted off slightly. "Seekers!" He pronounced. "We follow the Autobots and prevent them from reaching our door."

"What do we do?" Swindle asked.

"I don't know." He waved a hand dismissively at Knock Out who was starting to come to. "Whatever he decides. You'll have to explain things to Megatron, so I would suggest a good excuse."

Swindle smirked, "Never a dull moment."

The Seekers launched into the air, following the apparent trail of the shuttle. "One way or another," Starscream clarified. "We keep it from getting there."

"What about the human," Skywarp said. "Your-"

"I know what she asked," Starscream snapped, beginning to climb. He had a fix on the Moon itself. "Do...do what you can."

"Oh, this is too much brother," Thundercracker laughed following.

"Uhh," Knock Out rolled over and looked up at Swindle before standing eventually.

"We should go before the locals start to see what all that commotion was," Swindle reminded him.

"Precisely," Knock Out agreed, transforming. "Breakdown and I have a garage or two we can hole up in."

"Fine by me," Swindle transformed, taking the form of a common sport utility vehicle. They shot off. "I wouldn't want anyone to show up when I don't have my wares."

"About that," Knock Out said. "Got anymore of those little projectors little blue crushed?"

"Plenty, swiped them from Wheeljack myself," Swindle laughed. "Any reason."

"A million," Knock Out pushed his accelerator, wanting to get as far from everything as possible and back into civilisation. "Being a soldier is boring."

"Have you accepted Primus back into your spark?" Swindle asked, he asked, matching the speed.

"Uh, what?" Knock Out asked with shock. He could not be serious...It was probably just a virus.

OoOoOoOoO

"My son did what?" June gripped the steering wheel and stared straight ahead. She pulled off to the side of the road and waited. They had been taking the long way back on a return to the to base after a dinner and a stop at the nearest

"Now, June," Fowler sighed himself, putting his phone away. "We still don't know all the facts."

"I know, I know," She rested her forehead against the wheel, still holding on tight. She looked at Bill. "I'll just be happy when he's at college and not around them all the time."

"I know," He but his hand on her shoulder and squeezed it gently. He looked back at the white bag and Styrofoam container on the back seat. "Let's get Raf's dinner back before it gets cold."

"Okay," she said as he massaged her neck while she put the car back into gear and turned back on the road. "I still don't know how Mrs. Esquivel can let Raf completely wander off like he does."

Fowler looked ahead and frowned. "Big families, and they work all the time." Fowler knew it was probably better for Raf to be around the bots all the time. At least, they were stable and stayed out of jail. He'd looked up the families on all three of the kids when he met them, just to be sure.

"Sometimes, I'd like to go find his mother and give her a good smack for letting him just disappear like he does without an explanation. He's just such a good, polite boy." June added as the door to the Autobot's bunker rose. The lights popped on two by two as they drove down the long tunnel. As always, silence settled in. Fowler never knew why, perhaps it was something that lingered from the original purpose of the base as a nuclear bunker and the threat of mutually assured annihilation that worked on them until all the humans shut up.

Of course, it could also be the big, green and gray bot that was smoking a cigar and leaning against the open mouth of the tunnel into the base proper that kept things quiet. June laid in on her horn, "Excuse us!"

"Oh," Kup turned around and moved. He shook his head. "What a planet." June drove in slowly towards her customary parking spot and sighed.

"I will never get used to that," She said, gripping her wheel. "Especially since there are more of them."

"I know," Fowler agreed. "And the new bots seem even worse."

"June," Arcee looked down at Jack's mother. Fowler had not seen her so at a loss since the incident with Cliffjumper. Optimus must have a plan. He walked over, leaving them both alone to see what the plan exactly was.

"You know, sometimes, I just want to smack the hell out of you," June said, brushing by the bot's leg. Arcee looked down, forlorn. Fowler could tell she just wanted to get into the fight, but he was certain the shuttle would have been well away from the ground bridge's range.

"Tell me that you did not intentionally put those kids in harms way," Fowler shouted.

Optimus was staring at the screens, there was cabling running out from him all over the room. Fowler hadn't seen anything quite like it from the bots.

"Agent Fowler," Ratchet was the one to finally answer with exasperation. "Jack and Miko are like family to us. Can you say the same about some of your own men who are not much older than either of them?"

"Noted," Fowler agreed, putting his hands on his hips and stepping forward, careful not to step on anything. He set the food next to Raf. "Eat up, son."

"I'll," He looked up from his keyboard to sniff as Fowler opened the lid. "I'll eat it soon. I have to monitor this carefully."

"You're doing good work," Bill said, patting his shoulder. "But don't forget a strong mind needs a strong body."

"I know," Raf looked up, pushing his glasses up his nose. "I'll eat."

"Now, how can we help?" Fowler asked. "Should I scramble fighters?"

"Against Seekers?" Ratchet asked. The idea was preposterous. "Not if you value their lives."

"Keep the Ark secure," Optimus said without looking away.

"And you can help with interrogations," Ratchet added. "With Prowl."

"Interrogations!" Fowler exclaimed. Ratchet gestured to a monitor. Fowler blinked. "Cons? Mini-cons?"

"Rumble and Frenzy in the chrome," Ratchet agreed.

"This way, Agent Fowler," Prowl held out his hand, leading him towards the door. He twirled Knock Out's energon weapon for affect.

"Jack?" June said, hearing his voice giving a report to Optimus and Elita. There was a clear sound of weapons fire banging against shielding.

"Mom?" Jack asked. "I know, it was stupid, but with Megatron there..."

"I know, Jack." She swallowed hard, batting away tears as she gripped Rafael's shoulders. "Just bring Miko home."

"We'll take care of him, Mrs. Darby." An Autobot's voice she did not recognize replied.

"You better," June said, tears stinging.

OoOoOoOoO

"Your mother sounds pissed," Bumblebee said, leaning down closer to Jack as he attempted to fly the ship.

Jack looked up from the communications and radar readings. "Yeah." He realized it should shock him that he could suddenly understand Bee, but he did not have time to do anything but roll with it. He leaned down, "How we doing down there?"

"Usual," Hot Rod said from the laser turret underneath the shuttle craft. "Just missiles we can pick off so far."

"Good, I guess," Jack frowned. They were being followed by the three Seekers on their fast approach to the Moon. The ship moved a lot faster than Swindle had while landing, which confirmed he was trying to make himself as visible as possible. _So much for robots in disguise._ He looked up, hearing the pulse canon go off one more time, Starscream's supply seemed inexhaustible.

"No sign of Megatron?" Bee asked.

"No, just three jets breaking the atmosphere after us," Jack frowned.

"We've survived them before," Hot Rod said over the comms. "We can do it again." Jack looked at Bee, both of them hoping that Hot Rod's overconfidence did not just damn them.

OoOoOoOoO

::Seekers:: Starscream commanded as they drew into range. ::A space-fairing vessel is too valuable to waste. We must crack the shell and remove the gooey bits.::

::Very well, brother,:: Thundercracker smiled inwardly as he hit his atmospheric afterburners. ::Then I promise to damage nothing we cannot repair.:: He fired his lasers, releasing full volleys on the shield. It was evident Swindle spared no expense, even as the ship fired back with plasma torpedoes of its own. He doubted the Autobots to be so clever as to know how to use them.

He weaved in and out, jumping into the lead past his brothers, hot on the scent. His own countermeasures of electromagnetic interference cleared the space between them. He banked a hard right to avoid an exploding plasma torpedo. It sizzled in the waning atmosphere. His space thrusters kicked on the carry him, pushing himself outside of escape velocity.

His sensors picked up a red bit in the underbelly. He fired a plasma torpedo of his own, it streaked its way towards Hot Rod's position in the turret.

OoOoOoOoO

The Doctor...Alice...Miko thought she suddenly seemed very small. It should have been disturbing. She knew she should scream, but she looked over at the chair she saw...What was she looking at? Was it her? She looked so insignificantly small herself.

Things were coming online. She was aware. Energon flowed through her. It flooded her mind, filling her processors, and aiding the millions of computations per second that held her spark together. For a second (a nano-second, she realized) she struggled to keep up. Everything around her was moving slowly. The bits and bytes of data washed over her, through her. The metal encasing her was simply a shell to hold something even bigger. She grasped for a name, remembering something about quantum computers being talked about in school-or maybe in something Raf read to her that she only half listened to.

She opened her eyes-her optics and took in her world through those than through the sensory data around her. The world synced up around her as she returned to normal speed. Alice was busy, studying monitors, occasionally looking over. Miko held still, unsure what to do. She could not trust the human doctor, and she really did not know how she felt about what was done to her. Information continued to flow into her. It did not take too long for her to begin learning how to sort through all the input, picking and choosing what she needed.

She had once heard that Cybertronians often were created simply by Cybertron itself as they walked out from the core of the planet, fully formed. Like a lot of baby animals, she guessed they had to learn how to fend for themselves fast. Bumblebee was one of the last, she had also heard from Bulkhead when Bee fell into funk when the subject came up. She wondered if Adler even understood any of what she wanted. It did not take long to get a picture of what she looked like in her new body.

She was a seeker model. She could fly! She could detect engines, hidden weapons, her transformation cog was ready to go. She realized she looked something like Starscream, or Slipstream-like a bird on two legs. Her hands were talons. She flexed one from her excitement, and smiled.

She started to laugh, heady from the power. Her power!

Alice looked up at the new bot with shock. Slowly, Miko bent to get a better look at the insect. "Well, I guess someone should have done this to herself first and had some courage rather than testing on a defenseless, little girl!"

Her face was inches from the doctor's. Adler's eyes were wide as her mistake settled in. Miko raised her hand, the smallest tip pressed against Adler's lips. "I'm going to thank you, and let you live."

Adler nodded slowly, stepping back and raising her hand... Miko caught her arm, snapping it cleanly. "I said I would let you live, but if you hurt me-" She looked at the 'Con who had tried to rescue her. She readied a sidewinder, pointing it up. "I've heard about what can happen in vacuum to the human body, and it isn't pretty, Alice. So if you hurt either of us again, I'll blow a hole in the roof."

She realized she was being loud, screaming at the top of her vocalizer. It felt good. It felt right. What was she going to do? Should she go back? Would Jack like her now that she had-? What did she have to-? It wasn't like-? She did another inventory as she comprehended just what passed for sexual organs on a Cybertronian. There were so many options. She felt her body shift more appropriately. It seemed it did not take much to shift between a Cybertronan male or female form, just a desire, a way of thinking. She felt her spark glow in her as she made the body more her own. There was so much she suddenly understood... "Now what?" lingered in her mind. Suddenly, Jack just did not fit.

Machines were beginning to work on Slipstream as she laid on the floor. The stasis effects were starting to wear off. Miko could hear Slipstream pushing them into action as her hacking abilities took over Starscream's computers. They fixed her wings and her thrusters. They roved around her, cabling coming from the ceiling lifting her up. It was better than any job Ratchet could do, but there was so much that the Autobots seemed to be missing with their patched up and enhanced human base.

Miko looked around, finally striding around the base, never stopping her observations of the whimpering scientist.

"We should leave," She said to Slipstream. The 'Con nodded in agreement as she was still having fresh parts being welded back onto her.

"Alice?" Starscream's voice echoed through the room. "Alice, we're coming back. There's a shuttle on its way. Prepare the defenses."

"Star!" Adler shouted before Miko could stop her.

Miko scowled, looking back at Slipstream. "My rescue, I hope."

"Do you want to be rescued?" Slipstream wondered.

"Should I?" Miko wondered herself, looking down. Would they accept her? She glanced at the scientist before pointing a missile at her. "Not a word."

Adler nodded slowly, then more emphatically as she understood. She climbed up, reaching for a button. "Starscream, we are armed and ready." She struggled through each word from the pain as she grasped her broken arm even as Cybertronian nanites were repairing the damage.

"We're leaving," Miko said to Slipstream.

"I can fly, finally," Slipstream grinned, testing her thrusters. A long tunnel opened before them slowly, on the other end was a force field against the vacuum. "Let your T-Cog copy me."

Miko nodded, optics wide as Slipstream transformed into a Cybertronian fighter with her wings swept forward tightly. A green light shot forth from Miko's chest as it scanned Slipstream. With the simplest though, barely even a mental command, her parts started rearranging themselves, twisting and contorting to match the tight form. Miko realized she had lots of questions, but there just wasn't time.

Bursting with excitement, Miko shot off after Slipstream as they flew down the corridor. ::Leave it to Starscream to have a way out and leave everyone else high and dry.::

::Yeah, really,:: Miko agreed, pushing her engines. ::How do we get past the field?::

::Fly through it,:: Slipstream said, already breaching through.

::Sure.:: Miko pushed, the field fitting around her, snug against her composite alloy plating. It snapped behind her, closing Adler back in. Hatred was one thing, but killing her was another. After all, Miko wondered if Adler had fixed something that never felt right. Following close behind Slipstream, She spun in the air, wing over wing in a tight roll before pulling up and over the lunar landscape.

::This what its like?:: She asked Slipstream.

::Yes,:: She replied quietly, staying low. Miko took the lead, before Slipstream began chasing after her, darting in and our of range. They twirled in and out, tracing each other's paths. Miko found it exhilarating, freeing.

Suddenly, she stopped, transforming as they reached the light side. She looked at Slipstream who was doing the same. Confusion was evident on her face. ::Thank you,:: Miko said into the void between them. ::Thank you for saving me.::

::If it wasn't for me...:: Slipstream looked down at a crater below them rather than meet her optics.

Miko floated closer, letting their gravity pull them together. They began to spin slowly around each other as they both fell into orbit around the Moon. She gave Slipstream a smirk. ::Don't worry about that. Some things are supposed to happen. You weren't going to hurt me. Optimus wasn't even going to hurt you.::

::No,:: Slipstream agreed.

::Can we fly together for a while?:: Miko asked. Bulkhead might be crushed, but perhaps it was for the best. Who else could she learn from other than someone who seemed so much like her? Given different circumstances, would Miko have done any different? After all, hadn't they done countless things to prevent capture, or being killed that were morally ambiguous.

Slipstream looked down at the looming Earth that was coming back into view. ::I don't know this world. I will need help. I don't think I can go to the Autobots. There's too much lost energon.::

::I understand.:: Miko reached for Slipstream's hand and took it. Metal against metal, it still felt as reassuring as flesh against flesh. ::I know places we can go for a while.::

::And energon?:: She asked.

::It was buried all over our planet,:: Miko said, feeling more and more confident. ::We'll find some.::

Slipstream pulled away, looking back at the planet. ::We should go before Starscream's whore tries something.::

::Yes,:: Miko sighed inside. She started to give the order to transform before a stray laser blast went shooting by, then the comms came alive with traffic. Jack's voice was all over it, giving commands. The was the scream of a bot as he fired the blasters. It sounded like that Hot Rod.

Slipstream's eyes widened when the buzz of the hunting song started. ::Thundercracker.:: Her optics widened. ::He's targeted them.::

::Can we stop him?:: Miko's optics plead with Slipstream as the debate raged in her briefly. ::I can't let Jack die.:: Miko transformed, shooting off on a tight vector towards the battle. She assumed Thundercracker was the blue one. Typically, Starscream was bringing up the rear with Skywarp weaving around Thundercracker.

::'Crack is a kill hog,:: Slipstream explained, close behind Miko. ::This could get us killed.::

::You don't have to do this.:: Miko said.

::I know,:: Slipstream replied. ::And they did not have to leave me behind for so many cycles. They could have just brought me there to fix me and not left me with the Autobots.::

Miko opened fire, tight blasts on the underside of Thundercracker's nosecone. It was just so easy, she realized. She did not want to get into a fight, but she just wanted to keep them from killing any of her friends. Why was Jack even there? There was an explosion as Slipstream's weapons took out the torpedo before it connected with the turret.

OoOoOoOoO

"There's two more Seekers on the way," Jack said, watching the radar. The shipped rocked from a blast that was too close for comfort. "They came out of the Moon, I think."

"And they're firing on Thundercracker," Hot Rod said, giving a whoop.

"On Thundercracker?" Bumblebee asked with surprise. he looked down at Jack's console before going back to the controls. Thundercracker was breaking off in a tight turn, streaking off from the main pack. He was heading towards the two Seekers.

"Friendlies?" Jack wondered.

"Who cares, this only leaves Starscream and Skywarp," Hot Rod said.

"Check that," Bee replied. "That still leaves Starscream and Skywarp. There's no 'only' about either of them, Rod."

"Right," He laughed uneasily. beginning another barrage of suppressing fire. It was all fun and games until either Seeker decided it was over.

"Skywarp can teleport, right?" Jack asked. "So why hasn't he just popped in here for a chat?"

"Good question," Bee agreed, beginning to look over Swindle's secrets one more time.

OoOoOoOoO

::Thundercracker!:: Starscream yelled across the comms as the lead hunter broke formation to go after Slipstream and her new friend, if Alice was correct, was the human girl-that annoying little human girl! Inwardly, he scowled as he remembered the little vermin's smirking face whenever she was around to muck things up. Something to put to the test, he realized. Slipstream was crafty enough to take over one of the Seeker shells as well.

::Primus be-damned!:: Skywarp yelled. ::That mirror-faced, peddler of exhaust vapor!"

::Now what?:: Starscream weaved unsteadily.

::The shields won't let me through:: Skywarp replied. ::Swindle put in quantum shielding.::

Starscream spun in the vacuum, barrel rolling as his thrusters pushed him into the lead. He dodged to avoid a torpedo. He met another with a missile. ::Thundercracker!:: He commanded. ::Stop chasing little sister's wash. She's made her decision. We will follow the Autobots to the door, and leave the trash to the scrapheap.::

Starscream pressed his blasters, stepping up the barrage. Eventually, it should overwhelm the power supply.

There was a growl across the comms as Thundercracker peeled off.

::Where are you going, big brother?:: Slipstream asked into the comm. ::Not willing to find out who is the better flier?::

He growled again at her betrayal, unleashing a wash of countermeasures, mining the space behind him. They exploded before Slipstream entered the field. He screamed into the comms. Something, someone was pushing out his control of his own body. His thrusters sputtered. He drifted at full speed, unable to stop, crashing into Starscream.

She cackled into the comms, transforming. Suddenly, his energy weapon was unleashed on Starscream and Skywarp. They drifted as the Autobots made their escape. She and Miko transformed and faced the three male seekers. She raised her chin, and grinned. Of the three, Thundercracker was the easiest target. Starscream's mind was a steel cage, Skywarp's was too strange, but Thundercracker was just too cocky. ::I always said you needed better firewalls, brother.::

::We better go, Miko.:: She transformed, and with a full thrust, they returned to Earth.

::Definitely,:: Miko agreed, leading her down.

Starscream looked between both sets of targets with momentary indecision. ::Star?:: Alice asked into the void. His spark called him home with concern. He turned, transforming to race after the Autobots.

Skywarp frowned, looking to Thundercracker. He still drifted in the space, frustration on his face. Skywarp offered a wing and they limped their way after Starscream. ::Do you think leaving her behind like we did was the wrong thing to do?::

Thundercracker scowled at Skywarp. ::Slag it. Damn femmes!::

OoOoOoOoOoO

"There," Jack said, seeing the opening first as he stood on a safe spot on the console while Bee piloted them down.

"That should do," Bee watched the scans.

"Take out the force field?" Hot Rod wondered.

"No," Bumblebee said decisively. "It is probably the only thing holding atmosphere in."

"If there's an atmosphere," Jack replied.

"We have to hope," Bumblebee put a hand on his back reassuringly. He looked back at the scans. "Hot Rod, we have company."

"On it," Hot Rod began firing on Starscream again when he was identified.

"So what's the plan?" Jack asked, feeling anxious, his blaster in his hand. He looked like he was ready to storm the Moonbase on his own.

"I suppose waiting patiently in the ship is out," Bee suggested.

"Not on your life," Jack put his helmet back on, clicking the emergency button. The protective outer skin wormed its way down his body until it sealed him in it. He lifted his visor, ready to drop it and turn on the life support if needed.

"Hot Rod," Bumblebee said. "We're going in." They shot through the barrier at full speed, rocketing through the tunnel.

"That doesn't look right," Jack said, pointing ahead of them. A rock wall faced them. Electric cages opened up around them. Bee slowed to prevent them from crashing through. The sensors didn't say how deep the rock wall was.

"Scraplets!" Hot Rod yelled, appearing in the main compartment. "Damn Starscream!"

Bee trilled in frustration. Jack looked down at the monitors that covered their rear section. Starscream was transformed and waiting at the door, grinning. Jack looked up, hearing the scraplets landing on the ship one at a time. It wouldn't be long...

OoOoOoOoO

::Given up on the ship, brother?:: Thundercracker asked when they finally joined him. He smirked, enjoying the neat solution to security.

::Someone will pay for today's embarrassment.:: Starscream said.

::And when they are done?:: Thundercracker wondered.

::The energy shield keeping them in will contract, vaporizing them all.::

::Why not just the contracting shield and the rock wall?:: Thundercracker asked.

::Life cannot always be so efficient. Where is the fun?::

::This was a trap for Megatron, wasn't it?::

Starscream shrugged, and smirked. ::I have a few more tucked away for easy reproduction.:: He stood up taller, smiling more broadly. He was going to enjoy watching the shuttle stripped away, then the Autobots, then the human asphyxiate.

::Was the experiment a success, my dear Alice?:: He asked.

::A surprising success...too surprising, my dear. We will not need to do anymore trials.:: She asked, sounding much more calmly than before. ::What are you doing?::

::Trash compaction,:: Starscream clarified as he was getting impatient while the tiny vermin bots were still having trouble with the shielding. Their teeth were being vaporized on contact and they started roaming on two legs, occasionally bouncing off each other and around the corridor.

::It seems Swindle was too efficient with his shielding,:: Thundercracker folded his arms.

::How about I-::

::No.:: Starscream silenced Skywarp before whatever he was about to suggest was brought into existence. ::You'll destroy the stronghold.::

OoOoOoOoOoO

"So they're not eating their way through," Jack said to Bumblebee and Hot Rod. "What do we have to work with?"

"Swindle does like his toys," Hot Rod said, and he's outfitted himself with the best printers around. He scrolled through a list on a monitor near the printer.

"Anything with ice, anything cold?" Jack asked.

"Anything to cut through that much rock?" Bee wondered.

"Until Starscream and his brothers get tired of watching struggle," Jack added, glancing at the scraplets wander into the energy shield and be vaporized by it.

"I'm working on it," Hot Rod said.

"All the cycles in the in in the galaxy, Rod," Bee said, throwing his hands up.

Hot Rod chuckled, "Well now, did this idiot really equip his ship with a Heart of Darkness?"

"A what?" Jack asked.

"No," Bumblebee stepped back. "No, no, no."

"You'll see," Hot Rod held up a hand and smirked.

"Wait, a what?" Jack said, feeding off Bee's panic. Whatever it was, it must have be bad.

"Heart of Darkness enabled," Hot Rod said, keying in the last few commands. "Take us forward."

Jack felt the whole ship lurch forward as the suddenly became displaced in the universe. He clutched his stomach, closing his eyes tight to block out shifting wavelengths of light his eyes could not process. Bee trilled at the same time, unable to get the translation circuits to work with the projector anymore.

"I think I'm going to be sick." Jack said before releasing his stomach on the floor as he dropped to his knees. the solid metal against his palms felt reassuring. He dry heaved when the lights came back on and they were on the other side of the wall.

"What the fuck?" He yelled as he gathered himself together. He looked down at the mess he made. He was glad he did not have much more than birthday cake at the party, and breakfast was long digested. There was a buzzing still in his head. "Don't do that again!"

"Well, we're out," Hot Rod said, opening up the back door. He heaved his weapon, checking first to see if there were any surprises. They were definitely on the other side of the tunnel.

"The quantum shield is down," Bee said. "Fried because of shifting all of our photons outside of the visible spectrum."

"Fine," Jack wiped his mouth, picking up his own blaster. He had never quite felt so hungover. "Let's find Miko before Starscream figures out what we did."


	7. Chapter 7

Gladiators

Airachnid sat at the console in the med bay, the pointiest bit of her fingertip stabbing the same key over and over again in annoyance. She went through the evidence with one eye out for Megatron's return. Triumphant or not, she doubted his last stand would come at the hands a pair of elitist riff raff like Knock Out and Starscream. Of course, there was always a first for many things, and finally ripping Megatron's spark out would certainly only require a first time. Knock Out was simply too lazy to do anything that would risk his survival, and Starscream had never proven himself talented enough to get so close.

Thundercracker and Skywarp, she considered, were both genuine threats. Thundercracker would embrace the challenge of taking down the Decepticon leader if it crossed his mind. Skywarp, however - Airachnid shivered at the thought. Even she was not so daring and vindictive to attempt catching his interest. No bot should be so careless with the laws of reality as he.

One of her extended feelers reached out to check on Soundwave's condition. She had been monitoring him closely as well, looking for a sign that there was still something going on behind the enigmatic viewscreen he had adapted as a face after a particularly nasty bout in the ring nearly eons ago...

She smirked, remembering the view from the stands from next to the giant Megatron as he presided over his court. Soundwave had taken a hit, ripping away his face-plating and vocalizer, but somehow, something remained of his processors and optics. Her fingers were drumming together in anticipation as a roar came up from the crowd. The other gladiator, Razorclaw loomed over the tiny Soundwave. It was before he had bound the other to him in a network, and it was just the scrappy bot-ling that was too clever to be just another communications drone.

Soundwave's sparking face stared back up at gladiator in challenge. Razorclaw waved to the crowd. It should have been over. She could tell the Razorclaw wanted to be like Megatron, using his moves, his timing... He was ignoring his opponent who was simply waiting. His chest viewer spelled out that Soundwave was finished. Networked, it even displayed the comments from the watching holonet crowd from across Cybertron's underground. He laughed, throwing his hands up to whip the crowds up even more.

Until finally, Soundwave moved in a blur, lunging under the giant's bot's guard, ripping the viewer away. It took short work for the remainder of his face to complete the connections. Soundwave reflected Razorclaw's astonishment back at him. Then coldly, he spun, his own barbed fingertips out as he began to disassemble the rest of the beast.

Neatly, in rows all around him lay the other gladiator's parts, only his torso and spark chamber remained attached to his head.

The blank face turned, looking to both Megatron and Airachnid in clear askance.

"End this travesty," Megatron said quietly to her. She stood, offering the thumbs down. Soundwave loomed over the surprised and frightened Razorclaw. Light reflected off metal, angled so only Razorlclaw could see... With a swift move, Soundwave was holding the dimming and still electrified spark chamber as an offering to Megatron.

The crowd fell even quieter as Megatron whispered an aside to Barricade, his guard, "Arrange a meeting with that sparkling."

Barricade slipped away behind them. Airachnid shivered, knowing just what the rest of the crowd was sure to know. Soundwave had made Razorclaw watch as his spark chamber was ripped out. She shifted uncomfortably. It was not done for the crowd, or for any sort of self aggrandizement. It was simply done for vengeance and cruelty.

She glanced up at Soundwave's lifeless body in the support struts. If she'd only thought things through, she would have endeavoured to meet the young gladiator with an energon dagger before Megatron could find a use for him. Sometimes, in her times as an occasional scraplet breeder, she would cull the nastiest, hungriest in the colony to prevent them from turning on their own. It would have been no less with Soundwave.

"Oh, stop," She hissed at Ravage who growled every time she drew closer to its master or itself. Its hind missiles were primed and ready, and she was certain they would do more than sting if she made the wrong move. She leaned forward, looking Ravage between the optics. "Or I will think of an easily explainable way to put you and your master out of your miseries."

Ravage heeled before moving in between Soundwave and Airachnid. She hissed her disapproval, but what was there to be done? She went back to the monitor, looking for a way to bring Soundwave out of the forced stasis. It was a shame when a bot overtaxed themselves this way. After all, even though it often seemed like it on such an insignificant planet, they were only machines, not gods...even if it would just make things easier. It was also a pity her talents for the healing arts did not extend much farther than disassembly...

She looked over the scans, frowning. There had never been any femmes sanctioned among those who mattered to fight among the gladiators, though Airachnid had always been tempted herself to jump into the ring, but there had always been one rumored...

She had even, once, attempted to lure Soundwave into her sensual grips, but the bot had resisted. She drummed her fingers against the console, deciding what to do about her curiosity. Soundwave always did seem just a bit too small... Still, the scans refused to reveal anything. it was not that there wasn't anything fundamentally different between femmes and the rest of the Cybertronians. It was just something a little different in the coding and the way it interacted with their physiology. It certainly was not like the humans with their females being able to reproduce. All Cybertronians had the ability and right to remix and respin their spark and coding, but they did not require the fluid transfers humans did. It was a repugnant method consider.

She looked down at Ravage again who had laid down in front of its master. On her spindly legs, she decided to change it again and moved closer to Soundwave. Her thorax hovered well above the mini-bot. She peered at her reflection in Soundwave's viewscreen. "Maybe I could have you mounted on my wall for little chats?" She suggested with a smirk. She did enjoy her passing resemblance to many of humanity's fairytale queens... "Mirror, MIrror on the Soundwave," She chuckled.

She bent her thorax slowly, spraying a mist of stasis gell. She would just tell Megatron it became too unbearable and needed to be put to sleep for the time being. Pity the Lord was fond of the beast. Pity he was fond of the bigger one as well, she reflected, beginning to open up Soundwave's spark chamber for a little code audit...

She stood up, hearing the sound of scraping metal, the whirring of an internal fan, then the faint hum of something booting up. Her optics widened as she stepped back. Soundwave's viewscreen came online, reflecting an image of herself...

Airachnid scurried away as Soundwave ripped himself away from the struts, his feet planted themselves firmly on the ground. He turned slowly to look at Airachnid again.

"I..." She began. "I was just trying to see if there was still a spark-" Her palms covered her audials as she screeched in pain. Soundwave unleashed a high pitched burst of static the spectrum she was capable of hearing. Oil and fluids began to collect at every opening as her legs buckled.

She collapsed, falling into a heap as the static still banged around. It was like a torrent of hate was being spilled into the airwaves. Soundwave looked down, nudging her out of the way with a foot. Struggling, Airachnid reached out before finally trying to shut herself down into stasis to prevent being fried. Instead, something latched onto her, forcing her spark chamber open. A probe snaked in, forcing a direct interface.

She groaned, wishing the noise would stop. Her firewalls, already weakened by so many easy connections with Megatron were blown through by Soundwave. Her mind lashed out, reaching for Soundwave's coding as all of her secrets were being revealed for the spymaster. She searched, while Soundwave went through her memories. Her body was racked with pain. Her spark ached. But at last, she knew...

Only a femme could be so cruel, so vengeful. But at the same time, there was something not quite right in her code. Soundwave had made herself so alien that she was very nearly

something new... Airachnid did not have a word for it. Soundwave was just simply too heavily modified.

Everything stopped when Soundwave found the record of Ironhide looking into Laserbeak's cameras and they suddenly went out. She felt Soundave's sorrow as she searched for her missing children and only finding Ravage. Rumble and Frenzy's connection was lost. Soundwave did not seemed too concerned at bringing them back into the fold. Their use was often less than their trouble given their level of sentience.

Laserbeak, her most loyal minicon was lost. Airachnid understood what it was like to finally to have such bots as familiars. And the devotion Soundwave had to Megatron. It was frighteningly powerful in comparison to the game she prefered to play with the Decepticon master...

She also had never felt so lonely as Soundwave suddenly did.

The connection was broken, finally. Airachnid tried to watch as Soundwave stomped out of the room. Instead, she slipped away, her body forcing her into a shutdown period to repair from the pain. Her processors lingered on one last memory she had managed to get from Soundwave... The faces of Megatron and Shockwave as Soundwave first came online.

OoOoOoOoO

"So let me get this straight," Fowler said, leaning back in his chair as he stared across the table at the two "mini-bots." Rumble and Frenzy were only a little taller than he was. He had been involved in his share of interrogations before, but this had to take the cake. He looked back at Prowl who hovered in the corner of the room so he did not crowd them out. "You're surrendering." 

"Soundwave made us do it, all of it," the purple one, Rumble said.

"Sounds a bit like you're blaming the Devil," Fowler folded his arms.

"Naw, it ain't like that at all," the black twin replied.

"Then what's it like," He replied, leaning forward, putting his elbows on the metal table. "Enlighten my colleague and I."

They both looked at Prowl. Rumble looked back at Fowler. "We request asylum."

"Asylum!" Prowl and Fowler both exclaimed. They looked at each other and then back at the them.

"We're like escaped slaves."

"Or sleeper agents for Megatron," Prow reminded them. "Ready for Soundwave to bring you both back into the fold.

Rumble nodded soberly.

"So you both were smuggled out of the Decepticons by Autobot Tubman in the Underground Space Bridge?" Fowler asked incredulously.

Rumble and Frenzy glanced at Prowl for an explanation who held up a hand. "I believe it is his version of a joke."

"Funny fucker, aren't you? No, we just had a chance and we took it. We were just gonna try to blend in before they rode up."

"Blend in?" Fowler wondered. "As what, a couple of scooters?"

The mini's looked at each other as if to confirm they were both of like mind before their human camouflage.

"Holy Cylons!" Fowler jumped up, backing away. "You boys could do that?"

"Could, did. What you gonna do about it?" Frenzy asked.

"No holograms, nanites, or anything else?" Fowler asked.

"All natural mimicry," Rumble shrugged, checking his nails for dust. "Nothing to it. We could walk into anywhere, get jobs, join armies."

"Steal," Frenzy added with a toothy grin.

"Not helping your case," Prowl reminded them.

"Just why..." Fowler shook his head before looking at his own skin. "Why black?"

"You know why," Frenzy looked him in the eyes.

"Yeah," Fowler nodded with a deep frown. "I think I do."

He looked at Prowl. "You buy into all this?"

"Their readings don't show any connection to Soundwave," Prowl said. "But I'm certain Ratchet will want to be sure."

"Bringing them here was a bit of a risk," Fowler reminded him. "Especially after today's security breach."

"But what to do with them?" Prowl shook his own head. "It was either this, or give them well deserved, summary executions."

"Prime frowns on that," Fowler reminded him.

"Don't remind me," Prowl gave the closest thing to a sigh he could manage. "But the Earth night is still young."

"Well, both of you sit tight then," Fowler said. "I'm sure once we talk to Prime, we'll work something out. He may feel it necessary for a trial."

"A trial?"

"There hasn't been a Cybertronian criminal proceeding in centuries, Agent Fowler," Prowl said. "And I'm not sure if it would do much good."

"Soldiers do as they're told, right." Fowler shook his head. He knew he had done things for flag and country that would not look too good in front of a judge. "But sorry isn't going to cut it."

"No, it won't," Prowl agreed.

"I'm sure you both understand that it'll take some trust before we can allow you both outside these walls and into general society," Fowler decided. "And that trust will need to be earned."

The door opened and another Autobot ducked to enter. It was the green one June had almost hit with her car, Kup. "So are we ripping out their optics and walking them to a long drop to the pit yet?"

"No," Prowl reminded him. "They have requested asylum, and should be treated as Prisoners of War until we can be certain of their motives."

"We're right here, assholes," Frenzy said.

"Keep talking like that and no one will be able to tell you're not human," Fowler reminded them. For being 'Cons, they weren't bad people. But some of these new Autobots...

"Yeah, I see a couple of rust buckets who should be recycled for their energon," Kup said.

"What you going to do?" Rumble stood up, glaring, his guise already dropped and his pile drivers transformed.

"Not a goddamn thing," Agent Fowler said loudly, asserting control. He tapped his watch. "Prime?"

"Agent Fowler?" Optimus' voice filled the room.

"We're being disturbed during the debriefing."

"Prowl," Prime said. "Would you escort Sergeant Kup to my office?"

"No need," Kup said, leaving. "I might have a little rust the edges, but I don't need an escort for anything."

The door closed behind Kup and Fowler looked at Prowl. Prowl gave a smirk and a knowing shrug. "So you've got some clout around here?"

"During the zenith of the war, I was Optimus Prime's Second in Command," Prowl looked down.

"And now?" Fowler wondered.

"Circumstances of war prevented any sort of resignation," Prowl looked down at both of the mini's.

"You're his Starscream?" Fowler asked.

"Hardly," Prowl laughed. "More like his Soundwave." He looked at Frenzy and Rumble. "Be prepared to prove your worth to us."

"Like Soundwave?" Fowler's brow went up.

"Only I'm not an experiment gone wrong," Prowl smirked.

"You know about that?" Rumble asked.

"I know about everything that went on in Koan during the war," Prowl reminded him. "Now, you'll be good mini's for us, right?"

There was a quiet knock at the door. "Optimus asked if I could bring the energon refiller by," Raf said, blinking to look at the one human and one bot that were almost like people.

"Finally!" Rumble sighed, sinking back into the chair.

"Good, now take your three hots and cot for right now," Fowler said, sitting down himself. His dinner suddenly sat heavily in his stomach. Things were getting complicated, and fast.

OoOoOoOoO

Jack raced behind the two bots. It wasn't easy. The gravity was playing strange tricks with his movements, but he just had to go with it and trust the adrenaline racing in his system and the Cybetronian technology that made up his outerwear. He shot at a scraplet that somehow made the trip with them before it had a chance to eat anything they might need later on, like whatever was producing the atmosphere that he hoped was keeping Miko alive. Thermal imaging detected at least one human lifesign. They were winding their way through the corridors as quickly as possible.

There was a barrage of blaster fire from automated systems overhead. Bee took a hit, and Hot Rod unleashed with his wrist guns, bringing the whole thing down.

"You okay?" Jack asked Bee.

Bee gave him a thumbs up and started moving again. It would have been faster for them both if they transformed, but Jack was grateful they were letting him keep up. Jack looked up, seeing a red light as Hot Rod moved away from another door. "Get down!" Hot Rod yelled as the countdown beeps became closer and closer together until was a sustained trill before it blew. Jack knelt and waited for the smoke to clear.

Hot Rod and Bumblebee were raked over with electricity, stupified in place by a woman in a white lab coat. Jack leveled his blaster and frowned. It was the only warm signature in the room. Not Miko, he realized. "Missed someone," He yelled out before taking the shot.

It was clean, he realized. Hot Rod and Bumblebee both slowly came to, narrowly avoiding being offlined. Jack walked over, blinking. Realization slowly settled in...

There was nothing left of the woman's head...He shot a person. He looked down at the corpse. He'd killed a person. His mouth dropped slowly. He did not even know her name. Looking up at Bee, he didn't know what to say.

Bee looked down at him, frowning himself in understanding. He shook his head. There was looked exchanged between Hot Rod and Bee.

"You may not want to hear this now," Hot Rod said finally. "But thanks, kid."

Jack nodded grimly. _Just one more thing to accept-_ He blinked again, seeing something in the shadows. It looked like another human body in a chair. The shape, the hair, the shape of the ankle... He walked slowly over. "No...Miko. No." He stopped before he was close enough to make out the details of her face. He dropped to his knees. "Miko, no."

"Oh, no," Bumblebee said, following Jack's gaze, rushing over to Miko.

"Frag!" Hot Rod yelled, banging his fist into the wall. The cavern shook with it.

Carefully, Bumblebee removed the cabling from her head and took her into his arms. He cradled her. "We need to go, Jack."

"Right," Hot Rod agreed, kneeling to put a finger on Jack's shoulder. "We can't all go to the Well today. And Starscream and his brothers could still come."

OoOoOoOoO

::What?:: Starscream looked at Thundercracker as the ship disappeared in the tunnel. ::What happened?::

::It appears the refuse had a Heart of Darkness on board.:: Skywarp said admiringly. ::Contraband.::

::Alice!:: Starscream yelled into the comms. He touched his arm, sending the energy shield through the tunnel to destroy the remaining scraplets. Useless lot they were, he reflected.

::Calm down,:: Alice replied. ::They are on their way, but I have it handled. Your defenses are giving them trouble.::

Starscream leaped into the air, tired of waiting for the cleaning process. His brothers joined him as they raced to the front door. Seismic readings detected a large blast underneath, near where the labs were. Suddenly, there was an energy spike through the whole spectrum as Alice's connection to the comms was suddenly overloaded. Then, nothing. He knew Alice had to be gone.

::Alice!:: Starscream screamed into the night as he unleashed his weapons. He had other bases, other places to go in a hurry. Quickly, he downloaded all her data from their work together.

::Level it, leave it a crater!:: He commanded bitterly.

::Very well, brother,:: Skywarp said, transforming. ::Is this rock still required?::

::That would destroy the planet with the Chaos Bringer at the heart of it, brother,:: Thundercracker reminded him.

::Very well,:: Skywarp replied, while the other two Seekers pounded the Moon with ordinance, he began to spin something special into life. All it took was a shell and a few hydrogen isotopes...

OoOoOoOoO

"What are we going to do?" Hot Rod leaned into Bumblebee. The yellow bot looked up with uncertainty. He shook his head and turned back to the console.

"We've got to do something," Hot Rod said. "Too far for a bridge, right?"

"Not a safe one," Bumblebee looked down.

"This doesn't seem much worse than being stuck in this tin can," Hot Rod said. So far, it had held, but each blast caused more debris to shake loose and his the sides of the craft.

He glanced back at Jack who was on his knees, still holding Miko's limp hand. Bee was not sure if he should be worried that Jack was not crying as humans were supposed to do when they lost someone they cared about. But there was no time to mourn. Bee looked down before glancing at Hot Rod. There was never time to mourn in war.

"Contact base," Jack said, finally getting up. "What else do we have to lose?"

"Aye, aye," Hot Rod smirked at Bee. How did they get a human for a captain?

OoOoOoOoO

"What's going on?" June stood fearfully next to Ratchet. She would have gripped his shoulder if the bot did not always exude a certain professional decorum.

"They're requesting a ground bridge," He replied, looking down at June. "It...it is not going well."

"Of course," June said. Tears stung her eyes. She knew better than to berate Ratchet. The gruff old medic took more to his spark than most human doctors than she had met.

"Nurse, be prepared for casualties," Ratchet frowned.

"Bot or...?" June's voice caught.

"Miko," Ratchet looked down sorrowfully as he finished reading Bumblebee's message. "Oh, sweet, Primus."

"Can you get a ground bridge that far?" June worried.

"With their signal there?" Ratchet shook his head and began working. "They feel it is now worth the risk. Correction," He added. "Jack feels it is worth the risk."

"Jack?" June peered down at the message.

"Bumblebee said something about Jack assuming command," Ratchet shrugged. "There is only one better choice, and he is here." His optics lead straight to Optimus and Elita who were monitoring, but were also in the middle of a debrief involving the previous battle they witnessed with Megatron. Their little base was beginning to hum like their old fortress in Iacon.

"Just bring him home," June said. "Bring them all home. I'll-" Her voice trailed off as she considered her options. She had a better than average first aid kit in her car. She just hoped she did not have to rush Miko to the hospital. "I'll prepare for wounded."

Ratchet looked down, giving her a reassuring nod as he set to work. "I could ask for no better assistant, Nurse Darby, than the one Primus sought fit to give me."

OoOoOoOoO

"Faster!" Starscream had expended all of his own ordinance, and Thundercracker merely hovered in the lunar-synchronous orbit, giving up as he smirked. "You would avenge this fleshling, but one of our own you would leave on an asteroid?"

"Slipstream knew the risks," Starscream brushed away the comment as he looked to Skywarp impatiently.

"Patience," the ink black Seeker said, starlight glittering in his paint as he enacted creation. "The power of a star is a delicate thing."

"We are not building space bridge from Vos." Starscream scowled. "Destroy them!"

"I am finished," Skywarp said releasing the tiny, egg shaped ball of gases into the void. As gently nudge propelled it to the surface. "We will wish to be well away soon, my brothers."

He transformed, leading his brothers away at full thrust. He looked back and smiled when the radiation wave reached their shielding. He pitched forward and smiled inwardly, blown about by his own creation as the blast burned itself out, leaving behind a crater.

OoOoOoOoO

"Look, son," Ironhide said, putting a hand on Bulkhead's shoulder. "I know this ain't what you want to be doing, but it's what we need to be doing."

"I..." Bulkhead wanted to slam his wrecking ball into something again, but he'd already left several large dents in the side of the Ark. Eventually, Ironhide just had to put a stop to it or they would not have a ship left to rebuild. He was a big bot, good at tearing things apart.

"I should be there," He said. "I should be helping. I'm supposed to be protecting her."

"Buck up," Ironhide stood tall, putting a finger in Bulkhead's chest. "We ain't bodyguards for the humans. We're soldiers, and when our commanding officer says to do something: we do it." Ironhide pointed at the ship.

"Right now, keeping everything on board that thing out of the wrong hands is paramount." He leaned in, certain none of the soldiers could hear them. So far, since Bulkhead had begun his destructive clanging, they had stayed clear. "You know these people, you know what they'll do with interstellar travel."

Bulkhead looked down and shook his head. "I know, Optimus has his reasons, and Jack-" He frowned and looked up at the Earth's Moon. "Jack'll take care of her."

"Arcee's human?" Hide asked. "He looks a bit small, even for one of them."

"He's..." Bulkhead put a great paw of a hand on Ironhide's shoulder. "He knows his duty."

"And so do you," Ironhide reminded him. They both looked up at the sky. "Waiting is the worst part of soldiering."

"And I always thought it would be the fighting and dying."

"Not much to be done when it happens except Primus' will and preparing for your accounts as we go to the Pit," the older bot said. "But waiting, watching, wondering if you being there would help, will eat you up."

Bulkhead could only nod from a lifetime of understanding. "I know, I just..."

"...A good soldier takes his vows to his spark." Ironhide agreed, shuffling around in the desert sand.

Suddenly, the sky lit up, turning the Moon into a black disc. To Ironhide's sensors, it seemed to wobble slightly, as if it was nudged in its orbit. Bulkhead's jaw dropped slightly and began to quiver.

"What's going on?" Ironhide lifted his wrist to his vocalizer. "We just saw a flash."

"We-" Ratchet's voice trembled into the comm. Ironhide looked to Bulkhead who was listening intently, hope in his optics. 'Hide had never seen a bot who wore his spark on his dermal plating the way Bulk did.

"We've got them!" Ratchet said to the sound of a lot of cheering before... "Oh sweet, Primus-" Static filled the comm.

"Ratchet!" Bulkhead yelled, snatching at Ironhide's wrist. "What's wrong?"

"Incoming!" Lennox screamed into the night. Proximity sensors screamed as the desert night lit up again from spotlights searching the sky. Hide and Bulk turned, their weapons transformed and ready.

"Soundwave," Bulkhead said, his mouth set.

The Reaper drone was flying in fast, angry. Ironhide raised his plasma cannon, aiming carefully. Soundwave barreled on. The ball of plasma impacted the shielding, spreading across it and behind it. The humans powered up the coilguns, lobbing electromagnetic shots that Soundwave weaved to avoid.

Transforming, Soundwave landed on two feet.

"Came back for something, did you?" Ironhide asked, giving the Decepticon a smirk. He reached into the back of one of the human vehicles and pulled out the two halves of Laserbeak, throwing the remains at Soundwave's feet. His cannon whirled into life, spinning around quickly for affect.

"Or did you come to do a little chatting?"

"Uh," Bulkhead moved to the side carefully, ready to pin Soundwave between the two of them if the fight broke out. Soundwave might be small, but he was always deceptively strong and fast. He might not get too many chances to pound through his viewscreen. Backing away, Soundwave brought them both into his sight. Though Bulk did not doubt that Soundwave would have lost track of him.

"We're gonna pound on ya," Ironhide said, a glint of glee in his optics.

"Uh, you can still surrender," Bulkhead tried, considering what Optimus would say. "We don't have to do this."

"Oh, yes we do," Ironhide said, revving his canon up again for a shot. He held it in front of Soundwave's face.

Soundwave moved, fist going up to deflect the shot as it exited the chamber. It went wide, flying into the hills. Bulkhead reacted, swinging his wrecking ball into Soundwave's back to protect his comrade. Soundwave had already twisted his way into Ironhide's guard, tentacles spreading to wrap the old soldier in his grip. Bulkhead swung again, sending the pair towards the ship.

There was a glow from Ironhide's spark chamber, beginning to leak through... Another tentacle snaked out from Soundwave. It twined around Bulkhead's weapon arm.

He struggled. "Uh, Spike! Lennox!" He called out. "Little help..."


	8. Chapter 8

**Transformation**

"Oh no," Arcee whispered when Jack walked slowly out of the gate holding Miko close in his arms. For a nano-cycle, she felt burst of jealousy. Miko was getting exactly what she had wanted all along. But there was something wrong in his expression. For a human, he looked like he had aged ten years in the space of the couple hours since he had raced away from her. There was so much grief it broke her spark...

She tried to look into his eyes, but instead she saw how limp and cool Miko's body had become. Bumblebee and Hot Rod followed behind closely, quietly. They were hardly behaving like the heroic conquerors she would have expected after a near-death rescue. "Miko," Arcee whispered, moving past the other bots who were also just staring. Where was Bulk? She wondered. Did he know?

Jack laid Miko down on a gurney June had ready. Arcee winced, wondering just what recriminations she would have for them all. She had warned them it might happen. Through trembling voice and a wagging finger, she had warned that they were endangering the children. Instead, June reached for her son and held him tightly.

She wanted to go to them, but- Arcee looked down. _Scrap_. She had lost so many to the 'Cons during the war. She'd lost so many friends, and a couple of lovers- But this?

Losing one of the humans just was not supposed to happen. Losing Miko was not supposed to happen! Her spark ached. Letting go of it, she downloaded into her projector, forming next to her own feet. Still, the grief was palpable, but she felt confident enough to approach Jack and his mother. Raf had looked up, going over as well.

Arcee touched Jack's shoulder before looking down on Miko's quiet body. This couldn't be it. This could not be all there was for them. This could not be all there would be for the loud human girl.

Arcee looked at June. June's eyes met her own. A hard scowl crossed June's lips. June struck out with a hard slap across Arcee's nanite face. Stunned, Arcee did not know what to say. She wanted to mourn and cry like one of the humans, but she did not know how.

"Oh, sweet Primus," Ratchet said again. Arcee could hear the sorrow in his own vocalization. Then there was static in the comm that Ratchet had been speaking into.

"Oh slag it," Ratchet cursed before going to the monitors. His optics widened. "Optimus!" He looked around for their leader. "Optimus!"

Silently, Optimus looked at Ratchet after staring at Miko's body since it had been brought through.

"Soundwave is blocking Bulkhead and Ironhide's comms," Ratchet said as he raced to reestablish the connection.

Arcee watched her leader, trying to read his expression. His mournful optics continued to look down on Miko before finally looking back to up Ratchet. She had always known a certain amount of kindness in him, even in the most difficult of battles. But this...? Arcee was not so sure. The only thing she was certain of was this was close to the expression he would have if he was searching the Matrix for answers...

"Ratchet," he said finally. "You and Nurse Darby should examine Miko's body. Scan the wounds on her head." He looked up finally at the collected humans. "Rafael, they will need records from Teletraan in my personal archives."

Raf nodded carefully. "Sure, Optimus. What files?"

"Provide them with the research from the Translation project. Shockwave's name will be attached to the research."

"Surely not," Ratchet said, his optics widening.

"And Bulkhead and Ironhide?" Kup spoke up to ask.

"Bring up the ground bridge. The rest of us Autobots prepare for battle. We will be engaging the gladiators of Kaon one more time."

"Now, there's the spirit!" Kup smirked, heaving his rifle.

"What should I do?" Jack looked up at Optimus.

Their leader knelt down to look at he and Arcee. "Remain behind. Hot Rod and Bumblebee said there was another Seeker in the mix. There had only been three and Starscream known on Earth. The unknown fifth maybe of more consequence than I previously thought."

"Wait, you're not thinking..." Jack looked at Arcee before turning to Optimus. "That it was Miko?"

"Mech had proven close, and the humans would not be the first species to try it."

"I thought it was just war propaganda," Arcee's human eyes widened.

"There is more than meets the eye," Optimus said. "To each of you humans. And Miko was never a happy, or settled human. Whatever details we can gleam, it will be a way in finding her and Slipstream."

Jack swallowed hard and nodded. June was already wheeling Miko away, following Ratchet. He could see that even his mother prefered to be lost to a job rather than get swept up with grief, especially if they were being offered such a small glimmer of hope. Optimus was already standing as the ground bridge was coming to life.

"Autobots, transform and roll out."

OoOoOoOoO

A cycle passed on the Nemesis until one of the vehicons found Airachnid. She looked up at the concerned 'Con, waving it off as she came out of the long reboot. She scowled. She had been wondering when one of the useless canon fodder would finally make themselves known. They had been far too quiet for her tastes.

Which one was this one...21, 24? Or was he 150? Perhaps this was the one that had been labelled as "Steve?" It didn't matter. She raised herself on her spindly legs and leaned down on the minion. Slowly, she grinned, giving him the slightest of bows.

"My thanks, trooper," She hissed. "Report."

He looked around him, as if someone else was supposed to speak. Airachnid realized there must truly had been no one else but the scraplets running the laboratory.

"Soundwave has left," the vehicon finally replied.

"And Lord Megatron?" She asked, gathering her wits as she moved about the room, giving him the most cursory of attention. Ravage seemed to have beat her to the boot and already scampered off.

"Lord Megatron is not aboard," The vehicon replied.

Airachnid scowled, wondering if Megatron's spark had been sent to the pit. It truly would have been a pity after the rekindling of their affair. "Very well," she scuttled out of the room, leading the vehicon in her wake. "I will take the helm, since no one else seems inclined."

She turned to the vehicon who was still following closely. Too closely, she felt. It was one of the flying ones. One of Starscream's git that remained loyal to Megatron... Was it following, or what it escorting her somewhere? Was it an assassin for any of the other players in their little drama to be in Megatron's shadow? Was it leering at her...?

Snapping around, her claws pried into its chest. She pulled out its spark, the vehicon slid to the ground. "Goodbye, Steve," she bade it with a sliver of a smile on her lips.

She could not be too careful with the minions. Megatron was too soft. Starscream was too ignorant. These cretins and Knock Out and Breakdown should also have been ejected from their vessel centuries before. There was simply no trusting the help. Megatron's need for attention from the crowd would always be their undoing. it simply more efficient to rule from the shadows.

A probe shot out from under her midsection and into the vehicon's energon tank. She siphoned away what was left. Why let such things go to waste? Lowering herself to her feet, she strode onto the bridge to take command, her spidery legs swept behind her, the spark still cradled in her hand. She tossed it lightly into the air with amusement. She admired the smell and color of the jewel as its warmth faded and the soul of the vehicon finally died away.

In times past, she would have connected a probe to it to savor the last moments, but given its low rank and ability, and her previous encounter with Soundwave, it simply was not worth the momentary fascination. Soundwave might have enjoyed forcing another to watch its demise, but she craved the last nano-cycles of a creature's life.

"Ravage," Airachnid said, seeing the bot now on its hind legs, working the controls. "I was not aware you were quite so in control, or are you simply a remote control for your master?"

The hind missiles swiveled to face Airachnid. She smirked, admiring the way Ravage's spine had straightened and its front paws had comfortably become hands with fingers for manipulation. the jackyl's head looked over its shoulder.

"Airachnid," Megatron's voice thundered through the comms.

"My Lord?" She asked, moving to stand next to Ravage, her spindly legs extending out behind Soundwave's pet.

"I am on approach," He said.

"Very well," She replied.

"Has Soundwave recovered?" He asked.

"Yes." She weighed her words as she glanced at Ravage.

"Then have Soundwave meet me in the med-bay."

"Megatron?" She asked, feeling a pang of concern.

"You heard me," He grumbled.

"There is a problem," She considered how to tell him, or even what to tell him. There were credits to be had in her encounter with Soundwave and her spark chamber.

"Problem?"

"Soundwave left on an errand when she was revived." Airachnid smirked with the revelation.

"She?" Megatron's voice asked.

"She discovered that Laserbeak was snapped in two by Ironhide," She said.

"Ironhide?" She could hear the apparent confusion.

"Yes, we witnessed it when we found Soundwave twitching on the floor."

Airachnid saw Ravage move, fingers moving over the console. "And it appears Ravage has the helm."

"Ah," Airachnid grimaced when she heard his response. He was grinning. It seemed something had actually gone to plan. "Thank you, Ravage. I will be joining Soundwave."

"Very well, my Lord," Airachnid replied, looking at the slender bot. Apparently, Soundwave's pets were a true act of deception. "Should I join you at your side?"

"No," He replied with a moment's hesitation. "You've done enough, my queen."

"Then should I send reinforcements?" She wondered, moving away carefully from Ravage. She did not like the sudden change in the status quo.

"No, Soundwave and I will handle the Autobots like true gladiators from Kaon."

"Very well," Airachnid lied. "What of Starscream and his twisted brothers?"

Her frown deepened as she glanced at Ravage. The comm had gone dead. Evidently, it ended in a strategic retreat. Perhaps, it was time to plan for a life off of the Nemesis for a while before Skywarp found a way to send it into a star because he wants to see what colors it will make when it impacts.

"Ravage," She said without any hesitation. "You have the bridge." She strode off towards the main hangar, taking several guards down and siphoning off their energon before transforming. She flew off and away from the Nemesis...

OoOoOoOoO

"I don't know," Jack looked down as he followed Arcee through the corridors. She still had not gone back to her Cybetronian body, and was wandering the halls in her projection unit. Consequently, and just to be sure, Jack pushed the cart with two energon cubes with a portable charging unit to the room Rumble and Frenzy were locked in. "I just..."

"I know," Arcee agreed. "It's pretty hard to swallow." She glanced at Jack. "But he had one of those looks."

"Yeah." When Optimus had explained his reasoning, he had the kind of certainty on his faceplate that he had not seen since before Unicron.

"Seeker model types like Starscream just don't grow on trees," Arcee added. "Nor do spark chambers."

"Right," Jack double knocked on the door to announce their arrival. "I guess it won't hurt to cling to some hope."

"I know, it's hard to do after earlier." It was harder for Jack to hope, and being the one to bring her body home did not help. One of the things that she loved about Jack was his easy acceptance of the truth standing in front of him, but sometimes it just made him emotionally harder than even the battle weary bots in the Autobot base.

She wrapped her arms around him before finally twisting her hand on the door handle. She pushed it open. "Okay, you slaggers, dinner."

"Energon!" Both mini's almost ran to the door, but found themselves snapping back down in their seats by the stasis fields. "Whoa, who is she?"

"None of your business," Jack said, grimacing as he pushed the cart in the room. "Just be glad you haven't been shut off today, and don't ask questions."

"Of course, of course," Frenzy eyed the human carefully, then eyed the energon. "We owe you our lives."

"I hear it coming from your vocaliser," Arcee said. "But I don't feel the sincerity."

"Slag," Rumble said. "Would you after what we've been through?"

"You've been through?" Jack looked up from where he had been setting up the tubing. His hands stopped, the temptation to start ripping it all apart in front of them before spilling the energon was too powerful to ignore. Instead, he stopped and stared. His hand quivered over his blaster, still on his hip. "Just what have you been through today other than having your necks saved."

"Jack," Arcee said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Jack, I'll take care of them."

"Fine," He glared at both mini's, punching the door with the palm of his hand before slamming it behind him.

"Remember boys," Arcee said, her human hand transforming into a pulse blaster. "We still haven't decided what to do with you two, and we've had a long day dealing with cons too."

"Aw shit," Frenzy leaned back. "We're sorry, lady."

"You better be," Arcee gave them both an amused, half smile.

OoOoOoOoO

Nurse Darby looked up from Miko's body after turning it over for Ratchet for further scans. She could head her son cursing his way through the halls, pent up anger and grief coming to the surface. He blamed himself. June blamed the Autobots.

"He's changed so much," She whispered. He had always had a temper, an inner fire, but this? There were times she barely recognized her son, and only saw the first Jackson Darby in her life.

"Oh?" Ratchet looked up himself and listened. "Ah." He looked down at Miko again. "When your son and his friends entered our base for the first time, I was against it. For good reasons too."

He looked over towards June, "However, I feel it is we who have truly been enriched by Jack, Rafael and even..." His spark felt heavy from it. He vented a human sigh. "Even Miko. They provided the hope and the life that sparklings of our own should have provided. Be easy on him, he has had a trying entrance into human manhood. None of this should have happened. If it had been my choice, we would never have come to this planet in this manner."

"I..." June reached towards the doctor. "I'm sorry. Do you think Optimus is just grasping at straws with this?"

"I don't know," He turned back to the data Rafael had given them. "He is right, the numbers in the fight don't add up. However, to believe that this could have been replicated, even by a brilliant scientist like Starscream. I just cannot fathom why he, of all Decepticons, would attempt it. Simplified clones would have been easier. There was a human factor involved. There would have had to be."

"No offense," June replied. "But who in their right mind would even want too..."

"In comparison to the blazing, bright sparks that is human life," Ratchet replied. "Cybertronian's smolder and burn for centuries."

"Of course," June shook her head. "Of course, the fountain of youth and immortality." _Poor Miko,_ she thought.

"Jack," Ratchet looked up from the mission briefing he had opened on another monitor. "Hot Rod reported Jack killed a human collaborator."

June's breath caught as the reality settled in. "I should go talk to him?"

"And say what?" Ratchet asked. "Extinguishing another's spark is any sentient being must come to terms with on their own. According to Hot Rod, his quick thinking and quick shooting saved their lives. And Bumblebee, I like."

She smirked, "Not much love for the motor mouth?"

"We do not always make friends with all of our allies."

"No," June agreed. "We don't."

"I think we have something," Ratchet said. "There are definite signs that her brain was scanned, and taken over with Cybertronian technology."

June stopped, moving to look at the screens with Ratchet. Even if she did not know what any of it meant, it was still reassuring to look at the data. "Was it successful?"

"I still cannot say," Ratchet grimaced, even as his spark began to light up again for the first time in what felt like ages. "But if Miko's personality and mind were copied whole, I do not think she would remain hidden from us, or the world, forever."

OoOoOoOoO

They were flying high, streaking in stealth mode after scanning a passing Russian prototype jet in the upper atmosphere. They were in tight formation, their forward swept wing tips close. Miko liked the thrill of it, the wind rushing over her wings. She had never imagined the bots to ever feel anything through their metal bodies, but she did. It was like being touched by the world around her that was completely unlike her flesh. There was a faint webbing of circuitry through her body, connecting every inch of her dermal plating to her processors and her spark. After a few hours of this, she did not even miss being human.

And the T-Cog scans and the transformations... She would have scanned things all day if 'Stream had not warned her of the dangers in over doing it. She had not know that a transformation cog could overload from excessively form changing. Bots were just as fragile as humans, she realized.

Miko noticed something moving in her sensors underneath them in the clouds. It did not match anything in her already growing databanks. She was so focused on searching them before she realized why the shape looked so familiar.

::Megatron:: Slipstream replied, pulling back and slowing with her airbrakes.

::What should we do?:: Miko knew she did not want to take him on. It would just be suicide, even in her shiny, new body.

::Seems like we're on a similar heading,:: Slipstream said with indecision. ::We could follow him to Nemesis.::

::We could.:: Miko was nervous over the prospect.

::We should not attack.::

::No,:: Miko agreed, slowing herself to match Slipstream. ::What do we do if he attacks us?::

Miko waited through the longest nano-cycle while Slipstream worked it out. ::Fly away as fast as you can. I will head him off.::

::I can't just-::

::Megatron's a flying gunship, we fly circles around anyone that big.::

Miko kept watching, surprised he had not noticed them yet. Even in her new form, Megatron was huge in comparison. In fact, he seemed bigger just because her own scale had changed. Before, he was just so unimaginably big. As a Cybertronian trying to avoid his attention, he was frighteningly big. She was also a potential threat, while before she was just a bug that was just as easily ignored as squashed. His whole head had been as tall as she was. Now...

She remembered one of the times Arcee had fit in his whole hand...

Suddenly, she just wanted to be bug sized again where he was concerned.

::You got that right, sister,:: Slipstream agreed.

::You heard all that?::

::I could guess,:: Slipstream replied cryptically.

::Oh no,:: Miko realized something as she compared their heading to a map. ::He's headed to Jasper.::

::What is a Jasper?:: Slipstream asked.

Miko hesitated, wondering what she should say. She liked Slipstream enough. She even trusted her. But that did not mean she had the right to tell Slipstream all the Autobot secrets, like where their super secret base was located. ::Its near where the Autobot ship landed.::

::Oh, time for the next, final battle then,:: Slipstream smirked. ::Who cares?::

::I do,:: Miko replied, banking to avoid detection.

::Why?::

::They're my friends. I can help.::

::We were lucky,:: Slipstream reminded her. ::And I'm no Autobot.::

::Then fine, don't come with me,:: Miko decided.

::Fine,:: Slipstream flew after in pursuit. She was not about to let a virtual sparkling fly to her death.

OoOoOoOoO

"Do you have the shot?" Spike asked Antilles as he stood on the bed of the modified truck and watched through binoculars. Bulkhead, Ironhide, and Soundwave grapple for dominance. It didn't look like it was going well for the medium sized, red bot. Something was snaked inside him from Soundwave. Bulkhead had finally moved enough, and shaken enough of Soundwave's tentacles to give them room. Spike just hoped it wouldn't hurt Bulkhead too...

Antilles nodded with grim, silent certainty. Even with the new coilgun, he was a hell of a marksman. There was a click, then the quiet hum as the weapon fired. There was a whip crack in the air as depleted uranium pellet reached supersonic.

Bulkhead looked down, feeling the tension around his wrecking balls slack. Soundwave's faceplate was shattered. His shielding had been down for the close quarter combat. Bulkhead grimaced. The tiny bot had slumped, twitching in the sand. His processors were damaged from the shot.

Bulk looked over at the humans before turning to Soundwave. He brought his wrecking ball up, before slamming it down on Soundwave's chest plating, certain to finish the job. Sparks shot up from the damage. He brought it down again on his faceplate, crushing it underneath the weight. "Huh," He said, realizing how little energon had been spilled, and the lack of fluids from the coolants in a spark chamber. "Ironhide, look at this."

He looked up, the other both lying not far from Soundwave. "Uh, Ironhide..."

Bulkhead's optics widened, following the debris. One of Soundwave's tentacles was still snaked inside Ironhide. He rushed over, opening up 'Hide's chest plating, desperate to get it out. "Ratchet!" He screamed into the comms, still meeting silence and hissing.

The gate opened up behind him as the Autobot's poured through, lead by Optimus. They were ready for battle. Bulkhead looked down at Ironhide's spark. It was cold, already dislodged from the connections with the rest of Ironhide. They were too late. Bulkhead was too late to save the old bot.

"Optimus...I tried," Bulkhead looked up at his leader from where he was crouched.

"Is that Soundwave?" A voice asked, Bulk wasn't sure, and wasn't listening to specifics.

"Yes. He flew in." Bulk looked over at the humans who were still keeping a discreet distance. "They took the shot and gave me a chance, or I might..." He shook his great helm.

"We owe them a debt of gratitude," Optimus Prime said. "That we did not lose both our warriors."

He looked down at one of his oldest companions in the war, "Ironhide."

"Optimus," Prowl slipped up. "I will take next watch. They will need to be moved."

"Very well," Optimus said, his optics still on Ironhide.

Suddenly, he looked up. There was a familiar sound in the distance streaking in from the north. There was a transmission in his head. ::Optimus, Megatron is coming.:: The tenor of the transmission felt familiar as he saw two dark shapes eclipse the stars on the horizon as they streaked away.

::Thank you, Miko. You and Slipstream should not engage.:: He replied, his spark warming in something going right that day, even if it was still horrendously wrong. He met Bulkhead's optics seeing them brighten, if only briefly as something passed in his own head.

"Megatron!" He transformed his blasters, turning to meet the intruder as he landed behind the group of Autobots.

"Well, well, well, Optimus," Megatron started, as he strode through the crowd. No one made a move to stop him. "I see your reinforcements are here, and one of them has already suffered a malfunc-"

Optimus met the Decepticon leader's optics. Something crossed across Megatron's expression as he grasped at the loss of his most trusted. Then Megatron seemed to smirk with the certainty of something unexplained. "We have both suffered losses. Take him, and go, Megatron."

Megatron's optic's flared purple with anger. His serrated jaws opened as he weighed the possibilities.

"Megatronus, we will all be left to grieve in peace today." Subtly, the other Autobot's stances were shifting, beginning to take up their defences.

"Orion, brother," Megatron shook his head, a smirk on his face as he raised his arms in amusement. His easy facade settled in. "If only it were ever that easy between us."


	9. Chapter 9

**Resistance**

"Take aim," Spike whispered to Antilles. "That is high value target one. Fire on my command."

"Yes, sir," The marksmen said, putting a sighting on Megatron's helm. Information stolen from MECH said that was where their processor units lie. From there, it would be easy to unleash the bigger artillery.

"Optimus won't like this," Lennox said from the other side.

"It is still our country," Spike reminded him. "Our planet that they've turned into their warzone. We do enough on our own."

"But this is Megatron, and all we got is some glorified peashooters."

"Still, orders from the brass say this happens," Spike said, standing straighter, continuing to watch. He tried to read the mouth movements, stances. Usually, the big bots had come to blows by then. Hell, with the ring slowly going around Megatron, he would have thought it would have been a turkey shoot for the Autobots, but they all held their fire. Why?

"Fire," He said with absolute certainty. If the Autobots wouldn't do anything, he would.

There was the hum, the crack from the slug as it shot towards Megatron.

It bounced off his dermal plating.

"Who did that?" Megatron asked, putting a hand to the cheek plate on his helm. He levied his blaster towards the humans, amused as he fired. "The vermin have toys now. Interesting."

"Jump!" Lennox yelled.

Optimus rushed him, pushing him to the ground. Scattering the other Autobots gave them room. Bumblebee, Kup, and Hot Rod took positions behind a part of the ship, firing down on Megatron. Prowl and Elita-One took up a barrage from the other side, careful not to hit Optimus as the two rivals pummeled each other with their fists.

They pushed into each other, Megatron ignoring the shots as they wore down his shielding. No one was going to come to his aid this time. It made him more determined to keep fighting. He laughed. "This is how I always hoped it would happen," he whispered to Optimus as he clamped, his massive arms wrapping around the Autobot leader. The Autobot soldiers stopped firing.

Optimus wriggled to get free. "Keep firing," Megatron yelled. "When my spark finally explodes, I'll be sure Optimus arrives to the Pit with me!"

"Take this to the pit!" Bulkhead rushed Megatron, his wrecking ball swinging at his back. It clanged away harmlessly, but it was enough to distract the bigger bot to release Optimus. Megatron ignored him, keeping his focus on the Autobot leader rather than turning on one of the underlings. Optimus was struggling to regain his footing.

"We have you," Optimus said. "You know how this ends."

"Then it ends," Megatron challenged. "Or will you balk in the last moment like every other time I have been in the palm of your hand, Optimus Prime?"

Optimus gritted, his own blaster finally coming up to pin Megatron. "We're defeated. Our home is gone. Why do we keep fighting?"

"Why do we?" Megatron smirked. "Why do we, indeed?"

"What do you intend to rule when this is over?"

"This was never about ruling anything!" Megatron proclaimed, his arms going up as he began to orate to the assembled Cybertronians. He pointed at Optimus. "It had been about stopping you from replacing the old leaders with more of the same. That is what you advocated."

"I did not poison Cybertron, Megatron," Optimus grimaced, finally giving up. He looked to his soldiers. "Autobots, leave the King to what he has left."

He turned, taking several steps before turning his head. "Transform and roll out." He transformed, driving away.

The other Autobots looked at each other. They looked at Megatron, uncertainty clear. Megatron stood alone in the dark, watching Optimus Prime drive away in the dust.

"Take your dead and go, Megatron," Kup yelled down, lowering his rifle. "Before the humans decide to drop something nasty on us."

Megatron looked down, gathering the remains of Soundwave into his arms. He rose slowly into the night air. A gate met him in the stratosphere that he flew into, and back to the Nemesis.

Kup shook his head, "What a fine mess we've made. What a silly, fragging mess." He looked up at Hot Rod and Bumblebee. "You two, help Prowl and I carry Ironhide back to Ratchet, so we can celebrate the old slag heap like he'd want."

"No, I've got him," Bulkhead transformed, making sure there was room for him in truck bed.

"Good bot," Kup said, patting his hood. "Prowl?"

"Sergeant?"

"Guess we're stuck here," He said, looking around, counting humans.

"Looks like it," Elita agreed.

"I've been worse places," Kup sighed.

"And you'll tell us about them, right?" Hot Rod smirked.

"Everyone of them," Kup said. He pat Ironhide's darkened head, the pigments already fading when Bumblebee and Hot Rod had him settled. "And some of the others I saw with this old lug."

"I will remain and keep watch here," Prowl said. "I will keep in contact, however." He transformed, kicking up dust to begin looking in on their human contingent.

"Well, you heard the bot," Kup said to the others. "Transform and roll out."

Then they all did, and began a slow procession back to base, following Bulkhead and Ironhide.

OoOoOoOoO

"They're back already," Arcee said, sitting close to Jack. She could hear the revving of Optimus' engines as he rumbled down the tunnel. It sounded loud and angry. He transformed and marched straight to his office. She had never seen him do anything like that before.

"Didn't go well," Jack said, looking up. "Has anything today?"

"My tires are still intact," Arcee tried her best to smile, holding onto him.

"There's that," Jack agreed, leaning in.

Slowly, the others came rolling in one by one behind Bulkhead. The big, red bot, Ironhide was in his back.

"Oh no," Jack's heart sunk.

He felt a ping from the communicator in his lapel. "Jack, come to my office."

"Optimus would like to speak to me," Jack said, taking Arcee's hand and squeezing it.

"Okay," Arcee rose with him.

"I think he means alone," Jack replied.

"Oh, sure," Arcee nodded. The projection dropped away and out of his arms. He sighed as her body came to life as she joined Ratchet in discovering what happened. Jack assumed he would find out from Optimus himself. He stood up, stared for a long moment at the door before beginning to the walk towards it.

OoOoOoOoO

Optimus' data cable was hooked into his personal terminal. Throughout the day, before exhaustion had finally hit, Rafael had restarted Teletraan 1 after Slipstream's attack on the ancient databank. He was jacked in, communing with it. The husk of the Matrix lay in his chamber to facilitate his connection.

Rather than think, he searched. He had felt Miko, the true essence of the exuberant human girl touch his spark as she warned him of Megatron's arrival. Knowing that she was alive. Knowing that she was inhabiting a Cybertronian form... He clung to the impression that she was happy. Concerned for them, but happy as a bot. Even he could tell she was not happiest of human beings. He trolled their archives, searching for other cases, other instances where the transfer had been a success. He needed to know that beyond her initial contentment, that she would be able to adjust and thrive.

The deeper he went, the deeper he dove into their history. Ancient voices sung through Teletraan, just as they had chanted through the Matrix of Leadership. He rushed through the data streams, back to the source of all their knowledge. He grasped for the remains of Primus in their machines, the bits of Primus that were still in him.

He found even more, pushing past their god, into the crudest of programming known to Cybetronians. It held the truth and the secrets to Miko and their planet that crossed the heavens. Many intelligences were briefly awoken from long slumber inside their computers. They all looked back at Optimus Prime and smiled meekly. Then they all turned their backs to him.

"Not now, old buddy," a familiar voice said. "Still work to be done."

The Secrets of the Well were only to be revealed when he would be returned to it...

"Optimus?" The sound of a human's voice vibrated his sensors... Jackson Darby.

He flew back through Teletraan back to his body. His cables slithered back under his dermal plating. "Jack."

"You wanted to speak to me?" The young human male asked tentatively.

"Yes," Optimus looked down, unable to meet the human's eyes. They had become steely, always watching. "I thought you would want to know that Miko warned us that Megatron was approaching. She is safe in a Cybertronian frame."

"Really?" Jack smiled. "That's... That's amazing. I mean, I still don't understand how, but..." He swallowed hard. "So she's okay? Do you know when she'll be back?"

"She is with Slipstream," Prime replied.

"Is that good?" Jack wondered. "She got Miko into this."

"I cannot say," Optimus replied, a frown now apparent on his face. "Miko is willful, and with luck, she will turn Slipstream fully to the other side. For the time being, Slipstream has seemed to have renounced her ties as a Decepticon."

"How can we be sure?"

"I believe her attack on Starscream, and the others is evidence enough," Prime said. "And she did not fly to Megatron's aide."

Jack nodded grimly as he accepted the information. "Should I tell Raf, the others?"

"I will," Optimus promised. "In time."

"So then..." Jack looked down, uncertainty if he should bring up what happened when Optimus marched in. Or he and Arcee's relationship. Or anything else he knew he should talk to Optimus Prime about.

He decided to just face it instead of worrying about it. "Is there anything else?"

Optimus looked down towards Jack before looking away.

"Is everything..." Jack started. "Okay?"

"No," Optimus Prime said with honest before turning away back to the terminal.

"So then you don't want to talk about it?" Jack wondered.

"Arcee requested to remain with you," Prime said. "She will remain your guardian."

"I..." Jack frowned, studying the Autobot leader. That could not be what was troubling him. He swallowed hard, his face turning red from embarrassment. "She said you were fine with it."

"I am," Optimus said.

"Then...?"

"You may go, Jack." His hesitancy was clear in his voice.

The young man folded his arms, sighed, and waited. He glanced towards the closed door, but did not make a move. He took several steps forward. "Optimus, if you've got a problem with Arcee and I-"

Slowly, the large bot turned to look at him again, "No, it is not that. Arcee makes her own choices, which is the given right of all Cybertronians, and you are a human of the soundest of minds. Perhaps it is time Arcee know something in her life other than warfare. One day, there must be a peace."

"Right," Jack nodded as he studied Optimus Prime. For once, he did not know what to say, and Prime had something on his spark. He looked back at the door, realizing. He put a hand on Optimus's leg.

"Look, they're all still mourning Ironhide too. Arcee said you two were friends..."

Optimus looked down at the human. Jack had never seen Prime seem so much at a loss, even in the days after his time with the Decepticons. "You should be out there with them, mourning. You're more than just their leader."

"I...I know," Optimus looked down and away.

"Can I ask what happened?" Jack decided to go for broke. Something happened on the battlefield that had shaken Prime. The others had not said, but they had ridden back as stunned as Optimus. Just like there were things... He pushed down his own memory of the day down into the nightmares and dark where they belong.

"I turned my back on Megatron." The old bot frowned. "I tried a tactic that had never occurred to me in centuries of combat. He was alone, surrounded. I denied him the battle."

"Oh," The human looked away himself. "What were we going to do? Arrest Megatron?"

"Precisely, Jack."

"Optimus." Ratchet's voice echoed through the room over the comms. "We are getting a transmission. I believe it is Miko."

"Well, let's go answer it." Jack smirked. "Find out what mess she's gotten into now."

OoOoOoOoO

"Breakdown." Knock Out pointed to a corner of the two story warehouse on the outskirts of a little town in Nevada called Jasper. He pointed to the next door. "Me." He pointed towards another room that had been carved out on the other side of the building. "You can park your chassis in there."

He stamped the floor. "Shielded energon storage."

"Clever," Swindle looked around. "Not a bad set up, if I do say so myself." There were tires, cleaning supplies, piles of wax. There was a large mirror leaning against a long wall. The floor was stunningly clean. "Do all this yourself?"

"Breakdown is handy around the garage," Knock Out replied with a smirk.

"Doesn't seem like a bad place to bunk down," Swindle shook his head. "I'd swore I'd never come back to this filthy little rock, but hard times, right?"

"Hard times," Knock Out agreed. "But Earth isn't so bad. They do appreciate good machine work."

"And television," Swindle saw a large sheet mounted to a wall with a moving image projected onto to it.

"Breakdown does like his stories," Knock Out shrugged.

"Does Megatron know about this little garage of yours?"

"Uh," Knock Out frowned as he was not sure. "I do not believe Dear Leader could fathom hiding and living among the fleshlings as such, even as a necessity for survival."

"No, he does seem to have a one tracked mind," Swindle turned to look at the hideout one more time. "A good customer, but one that is bad for business. We could set ourselves up pretty decently here, at least."

"Written off your ship?" Knock Out wondered.

"Its beacon went off a cycle ago," Swindle shrugged again, walking into the room. "And the Autobots are bound to bring more to steal."

"Steal? More Autobots?" Knock Out wondered.

"Some of them set up a colony a vorn back. Some 'Cons have settled there after renouncing Megatron."

"Well, now that is interesting," Knock Out smirked. It would give them a goal to work towards rather than just racing and rusting.

There was a tap, then the sound of glass being cut. A pane dropped from the roof of the warehouse.

"A colony?" A spidery creature dropped down to the ground in front of the 'Cons.

"Mother and Father have a fight?" Knock Out asked, attempting to be nonplussed by Airachnid's appearance, even as he cursed the damage done, and the mess on his floor.

"I decided it was time for some alone time," Airachnid transformed to her two legged form before looking around herself. "Yes, yes, this will do nicely for a hideout."

"It will?" Knock Out looked at Swindle, his horror at the idea slipping past his mask.

"Oh, it will," She said. "I might even allow you mere combaticons to remain."

"Is that so?" Knock Out asked, wondering if he should power up his energon rod and put an end to it.

Swindle looked between them, "I'm sure we can work something out. No need for violence among apparent allies."

"So true," Airachnid agreed, moving to take a seat at the large, Cybertronian sized couch at the other end of room. She folded her legs. "Is it agreeable?"

"This must have been quite a falling out," Knock Out whispered before shaking his head. How was he going to explain this to Breakdown when he returned from his oil run?

"Now, Swindle, dear," She patted the seat beside her. "Tell me more about this Autobot colony."

"Anything for my favorite doxy," Swindle smirked as he swaggered over.

"I'm not a whore anymore," Airachnid reminded him.

"And I'm not your pimp, anymore," He leaned back and laughed. "Now, what's Megatron done now?

Of course, he would take her side, Knock Out thought. He had not bargained for a femme to hang out in his racing club. Especially with one with so little of a feminine touch.

OoOoOoOoOoO

"Time to go," Arcee said as it approached dawn. Fowler had taken June home some hours before. The Autobots had started to settle into their power cycles. The base was quieting down. Jack was glad to see Elita slip away with Optimus Prime. Hopefully, she could help him.

He sat on Arcee's seat, his helmet covering his head. He rubbed Arcee's metal affectionately. He hoped that she could do something for him. Still, his heart ached over Miko...over the woman that did it to her. He still hurt for what he did to the woman whose name he hadn't even known until Miko filled them on all the details. He leaned forward as her engine started up.

"Jack," Arcee asked in his ear. They were already rumbling down the tunnel. "Do we have to go home?"

"Probably not?"

"Good," Arcee said. Her voice sounded like she was still weighing something.

The doors opened in front of them and they were on the road again. He glanced left to see the sun rising over the mountains in the east. He was eighteen years old and one day, he realized. He was with the woman he loved. He had friends, and his mother was happy. He even had rle models rather than an empty, sentimental birthday card for a father. Things were going to work out.

"Then, let's find a motel," Arcee replied. "And find out what else we can do with a few nanites."

"Uhmm," Jack swallowed hard. He blushed "Sure."

OoOoOoOoO

The sound of Megatron clanged through the halls as he passed the remains of several of his soldiers. He could not miss how they were all drained of energon, their sparks casually tossed aside, clear evidence of Airachnid's handiwork when she chose to go for a rampage.

He had carried Soundwave's corpse before tossing it into the recycler to have it smelted down into new chassis for his minions. With a long, exhalation of gases, Megatron put his feelings to rest.

"Ravage," He said as the creature turned to look at him. Steadily, the Nemesis remained in its low orbit through Earth's atmosphere. Ravage had done a fine job in their stead. Ravage's spine began to transform as it started to lower itself back to its animalistic form.

"No, remain at your post." Megatron commanded.

"Reconstruction: complete." A voice said into the comms.

"Very good," Megatron teeth showed as he smiled. Tentacles lowered from an open compartment on the bridge with a spark connected to the ends. A new, more heavily built chassis stepped forward mindlessly from the shadows, a bay open in the front. The tentacled spark dropped to the floor, crawling its way towards the body. Slowly, it hooked itself into the chamber. Light started to emanate from the body. Its optics glowed.

"Very clever of you, Soundwave." Megatron smirked. "Very clever. An interesting choice this time, as well." He was boxier than his previous form. He had less of the hunched, pit fighter's gait. He was strong and proud. He was nearly of a height of Megatron, or Prime, this time. He was still an interesting shade of blue, however.

Some things were hard coded, the older bot guessed.

"Where is my queen?" Megatron asked sardonically.

"Airachnid: fled. Feared assassination from the ranks."

"Figures," Megatron waved it off. "Knock Out, Breakdown, and Swindle?"

"Gone to ground."

"Energon seeking?" Megatron held no illusions they were mere cowards rather than fighters when the chips were down.

"Unknown," Soundwave replied.

"Very well, signal Shockwave," Megatron decided when he heard something rumbling down the corridor. It sounded as if someone had thrown a thermal grenade...

He forced himself not to flinch, but to meet it head on when his optics narrowed to look at the object. It triangular, pointed... Ravage bent to pick it up for her leader, handing it over. Megatron took, holding it with the tips of his talons. He smirked, seeing the dimness in the helm. Could it really be?

"We thought an offering was in order given our last encounter, Lord Megatron," The blue Seeker said as he stepped onto the bridge next to the space black one.

"Your meaning, Thundercracker?" Megatron asked.

"Your path has always been more interesting," Thundercracker replied. "And easier to comprehend."

"Kill or be killed?" Megatron wondered.

"He was surprised most of all, in the end," Thundercracker said. "I am not entirely sure he realized where the killing blow really came from. But the look on his helm when he realized we were going to survive when he would not..." The seeker grinned. "It was exquisite."

"Very well," Megatron eyed both of them wary of plans within plans. He handed the helm to Soundwave, who would begin testing it right away for its authenticity. "What reason do I have to trust either of you?"

"We brought you Starscream," Skywarp replied.

"You brought me a head," Megatron reminded him. "Not a spark, or a Starscream for me to execute by my hand."

"Would you rather we fly off," Thundercracker asked. "When there are still Autobot's to hunt?"

"No, you both will make yourselves useful to me, I am certain of it," Megatron smirked. "You may remain."

"Are we to destroy things?"

"In time, Skywarp," Megatron replied. "In time."

"Megatron?" The learned tone of an older Cybertronian voice said before the singly, yellow optic and purple outline appeared on the screen.

"Shockwave," Megatron's arms were outstretched. "Soundwave's regeneration programming was a success."

"Of course, it would be," Shockwave leaned forward, even as his image refused to show more detailed, washed out by the brightness of the light.

"I order you to come to Earth, and any other Decepticon you find on the way." Megatron decided. "Execute anyone who refuses, Field Commander."

"My Lord?" Shockwave asked.

"Bring the armada. We will eradicate the population, strip mine the planet. Then you may have the Chaos Bringer that lay beneath as your own pet, if you like."

"Certainly, Lord Megatron," Shockwave replied.

"I have grown weary of games," Megatron replied. "First, we must purge our ranks, so that we will all share a common purpose."

"Very well, my Lord," Shockwave replied. "I will signal the fleet. We will be in orbit in less than a vorn."


End file.
